My Itty Bitty 'Thanksgiving' Book & Autumn Candle Crafting

The candles, bell and book photo shown here were part of my Lammas & Mabon Decorations. (I start with the basics & then add in the specific extras to the Sabbat or Holiday.) Below is a wreath and some of my crystals, stones & bones. I lay them down flat as well as hanging, and sometimes put a candle in the middle to burn on a plate; and rest all of the stones around the little wreaths.

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I make these itty bitty keepsake books from my kid's old board books, which is a great source for cheap art surfaces to alter. You can find nice ones to play with at the 99 Cent Store; and for a bit more, blank chipboard albums can be bought at the Art Store.

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This project is easy gratification art. I can start and finish one of these in an afternoon- (not counting the painting & drying time); but I usually end up making them in little batches. That way I have some for me, and some to give as gifts.

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I start by lightly sanding painting the middle and outer edges of each page, and then decorate each page with cardstock and patterned papers (DCWV). I punch the flowers & corners, and hand cut the owls from my own designs. The little strips say "Coming Home for the Holidays", "Thanks, Fall, Holiday". "Stuffed, Mashed Potatoes and Grapes, Yams, Pumpkin Pie".

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The sayings strips are cut come from sheets of patterned paper, which is another way to get more bang for your buck; as opposed to rub ons, stickers or specialty embelishments. I finish off with a coat of Mod Podge on the cover, and sometimes the pages.

And lastly some beautiful Autumn Pumpkin Candles from Martha Stewart. These pure beeswax candles are moulded from carved gourds and vegetables, nuts and birch bark in a delicate and labor intensive process. What a way to attune with the natural elements, and get crafty at the same time. Visit the site to read in depth article on creating these natural moulds, and beeswax candles.

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Bye All, Have a great weekend!

Button, Button, THANK YOU Gerry! for helping me make my button?

Hello there Friends! I hope you all have had a great week & are looking forward to a nice weekend. I know I am. Thank You to all of the Folks who have stopped into my new Blog Shoppe- Crafty Chick Creations. I appreciate your kind words and support. You Guys Rock!
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And a big apology to all of you patiently waiting for the Crafty Chick Creations 'Grand Opening' Blog Giveaway. I needed to iron out the rough spots & technical difficulties before I can begin. I am almost there- but I need a bit of assistance from any of you who may be able to help.

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For those of you who may not know- I am still pretty much a cyber & blogging Newbie. Somehow I managed to get thru my first 33 years of life without a computer (except for a short stint with one in the mid-80's)-and I only recently ventured back into this technical world when I got my Lap Top last Summer. I got online for the first time last December, and I have been blogging since March.

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In that time learned a great deal. I NEVER DREAMED that in such short time I would be able to do so much. Creating my blog, learning the publishing and customsing ins & outs of the various programs, links, codes, and so much more have been an unexpected accomplishment for me. I am always learning something new. I have been wanting to learn how to make Digital Art, and only this week was I able to begin to learn a bit of that. (Baby steps).

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Now to my dilema...

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I have been trying to make Blog Buttons for my blogs & also a Giveaway Button. I have made the artwork for them, but am now stuck on how to make those fancy HTML codes that people need to copy in order to link them.

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If there are any of you kind souls out there who would be willing to shine a little light on this process (ie: make the buttons & then walk me thru it) -I would be super grateful! In fact- I am going to offer the first person to contact me, make them AND then teach me what I need to do, to make them myself from now on -a token of my thanks.

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How about a handmade Thanksgiving, Christmas, OR Yule Card & a pair of my gemstone earrings? In addition to that- I will give that person 5 exta entries for the upcoming Giveaway.

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Sound good to anyone?

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Yes?... Great!

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I am grateful to any of you who takes your time to assist me with this. I know how busy we all are & how valuable our time is. So thanks.
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I also woud like to THANK YOU ALL for your friendship, readership & support in my many endevors. I may have only been blogging for a very short time- but in that short time I have found myself in the middle of a wonderful community of people, have made innumerable interesting contacts- and some very special friends.

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I have been lucky enough to be invited into your lives- and have been continually suprised at how many of you have found your way into mine.

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I think the most delightful 'side-effect' of this whole blogging adventure, has been the shocking discovery that there are so many people who are actually interested in what I have to share and seem to like my stuff. This has given me the boost in self esteem that I so badly needed to believe in myself enough to venture even further 'out there' and start my online /shop.
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So THANK YOU! Thank you all for so much!

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~Danae aka 'Crafty'

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UPDATE:

Sunday, November 15th -

A big Thank You to Gerry for helping me with my buttons. And Thank You to Strangerland for pointing me in the right direction. You both will receive your extra entries into the giveaway- and I will be contacting Gerry to find out what card & earrings you prefer. Again...THANK YOU!!!

Good News & The 'Grand Opening' of my Crafty Chick Creations Arts & Crafts Selling Blog

Hello Friends~

This is one of those days that I am going to bask

in my happy moment -in fact...

I'm gonna share it with you all too!

I want to enjoy it while it lasts,

'cause these days

~the good times can come and go

all to quickly.

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I've been a very busy girl this past week.

I had a lovely & mellow Halloween/Samhain holiday.

I set up my Samhain & Ancestor Altars;

had a wonderful evening ritual, complete with the requisitory

Anestor Offerings, New Year's Petititions burning,

a cauldron Spirit Flame, Tarot divinations,

some tasty Pumpkin Chai & other Autumn treats.

I also did some Prosperity & Protection Rituals on the Full Moon.

I've been having some pretty serious problems

with a neighborhood vandal;

(in the past 2 1/2 months I have had

my side & back windows

and most recently the front windsheild

smashed in with BB guns & rocks.)

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Evidently I ticked SOMEONE off,

although I still haven't the faintest idea of who!

But I have decided that enough is enough

& that it is time to pull out the out the

'Big Guns' (magickally speaking)

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-I also took several mundane protective measures of course.

In addition to notyifying the Police and several close neighbors

-I have a bunch of new security lights & a camera.

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I'm feeling much better.

And a bit more like there is 'SOMETHING' that I can do.

-I guess I'm feeling 'less powerless' is the word.

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I figure they will probably come back

-but at least now maybe they will either get themselves caught,

or harm will come to them from their own actions.

Either way, I am sick of being preyed upon

by jerks with nothing better to do than hurt good people!
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But enough of that.

Let's have some good news now...
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On Wednesday,

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the day FINALLY came when I got my cast off
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-YAY!

So now my poor leg is set free; and although it is still very painfull,

I am thrilled to be that much closer to being finished with this mess!

Another 6 weeks of Physical Therapy, and a minor hospital procedure

...AND I'LL BE DONE! Thank the Gods!!!

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I thank you all for your kind words and well wishes

to me during my rough time.

You have all been really wonderfull!

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And now, for some even better news...

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I have been busily working on

photographing my Art & Jewelry;

and getting my Pay Pal account so that...

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I can FINALLY begin

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SELLING MY ART ONLINE!

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Yay x2!!

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And although things are not 100% finished, I now have enough to start.
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My next step is to open my ETSY Shop

and an eBay account. But in the meantime,

I am going to put my stuff on my

Arts & Crafts selling blog

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~Crafty Chick Creations

(Along with a Pay Pal button, etc.)

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I hope that you all will take a look.

If you like my work, please help me to spread the word,

and manifest my lifelong dream

of supporting my Family by selling my art,

doing what I love, and what I am really good at.
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You know

...pretty much the same thing that many of you

dream about & do-in one way or another.

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This is also a really BIG DEAL for me,

because I am a Queen Procrastinator

& have a major case of Artist's ADD.

(I think I may have mentioned that once or twice. hehe)

So for me to have gotten my stuff to this point,

is REALLY, REALLY GOOD for me.

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To kick off my Cyber Craft Selling Adventures

with a bang

-I am going to host my very first

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Crafty Chick Creations Blog Giveaway

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I will announce the details on Monday, November 9th.

(tee hee- so much fun!)
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With all of that said, I will wrap up this post with a

'Have a great Weekend'

and keep your eyes out for some more posts with

my Art projects 4 sale.

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~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

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please stop by my Crafty Chick Creations Arts & Crafts selling blog

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@ (http://craftychickcreationsblog.blogspot.com/)

Danae's Thanksgiving & Autumn Crafty Creations

Hello Friends~

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Thank you for stopping in to take a look at my

Thanksgiving & Autumn Crafty Creations.
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"Autumn's Splendor"

Amber colored Swarovsky Crystals & Carnelian

Necklace & Earring Set

$28.00

ADD TO CART HERE WITH PAY PAL

"Mossy Glenn"

Brown & Green Agate Carved Roe & Onyx

Necklace & Earring Set

$28.00

ADD TO CART HERE WITH PAY PAL

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"The Key To A Friend's Heart "

OOAK Handmade Art Collage on 6x6" Wooden Plaque~$25 *
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Handmade Greeting Cards

OOAK individual cards & limited sets

each comes with an envelope

1 for $5.00

ADD TO CART HERE WITH PAY PAL

3 for $12.00

ADD TO CART HERE WITH PAY PAL

5 for $20.00

ADD TO CART HERE WITH PAYPAL

12 for $40.00

ADD TO CART HERE WITH PAY PAL

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*Autumn's Ghost*
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*Watch The Leaves Turn*

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*Thanksgiving's Blessings*
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*Count Your Blessings*

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*Autumn Mosaic*
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*Why Me?*
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Thanks for stopping by, and come again soon.

As always, I thank you for supporting Handmade Art!

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Please visit my new selling blog for lots of other great Crafty stuff.

CRAFTY CHICK CREATIONS

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Have a great day!

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~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

CraftyChick1221@YAHOO.com

Awesome Autumn Wreaths

Autumn is a wonderful time of year for crafting, as well as the time when we tend to open our homes to our Family and Friends. Nothing says "Welcome" quite as well as an Autumn Wreath on the front wall or door.

There are many options available for materials with which to craft our Autumn Wreaths with. Whether they be natural or artificial, handmade or store bought, a beautiful wreath adds a layer of seasonal interest to the home.

Here are a few of the many Autumn Wreaths that have inspired me this year.

Pentacle Twig Wreath

I figured I would start off with this simple Pentacle Wreath. This is something that can be used as is, or used as a foundation for further decoration. I could easily see this made of different materials, spray painted black, with orange berries and a sweet little witch for Halloween. Or made smaller with cinnamon sticks as the center star. The possibilities are endless.

Dried Flower Vine Wreath
A traditional, yet timeless arrangement of dried seasonal flowers, vines and berries adorn this wreath. Three groupings of dried hydrangea, grasses, berries, and blossoms are attached with wire or hot glue to this grapevine wreath base.

Leafy Splendor
Leaf wreaths are sold in crafts and decorating stores, yet it's easy to make your own. Cover a foam wreath form with moss then use dabs of hot glue to attach preserved or artificial leaves. Try using an unexpected shape, such as a square or rectangular wreath for added interest. The leaves look great alone, or paired with other seasonal foliage. This one has a sweet pumpkin ornament hanging from the center.

Cornucopia
Here's a wreath that can be made as two separate pieces. Start with two cardboard donut shapes. Onto the first attach a spiral of radiating twigs. Then hot-glue dried corncobs and flowers onto a heavy cardboard form that's been covered with Spanish moss (also hot-glued down). Use sturdy U-shaped wire to join the wreaths.

Feathered Friends

Another great material that lends itself well to decorating Autumn Wreaths is feathers. Whether used alone, or as an accent to other materials, feathers add interest and texture to natural art. This one happens to be made of Pheasant Feathers, but as always the possibilities are endless.

Fragrant Foliage
Purple adds an unexpected hue to Autumn Decor. This monochromatic purple wreath combines dried sweet Annie, dried lavender, purple statice, globe amaranth, and large green kale leaves for a decoration that smells as good as it looks. Experiment with different plants to find the colors and aromas you love most.

Catch Some Rays
Attach leaves from your yard to a wooden or wire star frame. Then hang the wreath in a sunny window to get a beautiful translucent look during the day. You can weave in some clear lights to give it nighttime presence, too. I think this star shape works well for other Holidays too. I can easily picture a black feather boa star for Halloween; and a red berry star for the Christmas/Yule season. Even a star wreath made out of nuts and spices would work well for this time of year; and a plain one made of tiny white lights could be used year round. All build upon the same concept.

Forkful
A vintage garden fork gets a second life as a door decoration when outfitted with sturdy ears of dried corn. The corn can be wired onto each tine for easy removal later. The fork or rake also lends itself well to magickal protective purposes as well. Remember Neptune's Trident, or the Stang Altars of the Celtic Druids? All of these energies are present within the modern day representation of this tool.

Color Spray

This last wreath is a stunning compilation of flowers, foliage, feathers, grasses and berries. It's deep burgundy hues are nicely offset by bright yellow-orange and pale blond wheat stalks and dried blooms.

Fiber Art Pumpkins & Pumpkin Pie Popsicles

These adorable fiber art pumpkins are made from wool roving. This is a project I haven't yet tried but is definitely high on my 'crafts I wanna try' list. And such a pretty way to create pumpkins too.

The next Autumn Reciepe to share is Pumpkin Pie Popsicles from the folks at BHG. These sound yummy!

These butternut squash ice pops taste just like the classic Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 lbs. butternut squash
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2/3 cup light cream
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1. To make a batch, cut a butternut squash into quarters and scoop out the seeds.

2. Boil, bake, or microwave the squash until it's soft. Let the squash cool a bit before scooping its flesh into a medium-size bowl.

3. Add pure maple syrup, light cream, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl. Use a potato masher to mush the squash and blend all of the ingredients.

4. Spoon the mixture into ice pop molds (we were able to fill 10), add sticks, and freeze for at least 6 hours before serving.

A Very Happy Halloween & A Blessed Samhain

To all of my friends I have made this year through

this wonderful medium of blogging~

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~I am wishing you all a most

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and a Blessed

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Enjoy yourself however you may be celebrating this wonderful holiday!

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I am having a nice, albeit quiet Halloween and Samhain myself. My kiddos are out with their Grandma & Dad at a Halloween Party, and will be making the Trick or Treating rounds tonight.

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I sat this one out (literally!) because I am still in my cast recovering from my broken knee. (Its comin' off real soon! YAY!) So I have a quiet evening of Samhain celebrating ahead of me; along with the obligatory Pumpkin Chai, Chocolate & Halloween Classics to watch. I did have some more Halloween & Samhain related posts but I got sick halfway thru last week- so that put a halt in those plans. Ah well...

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So here's to saying farewell to the old year and

welcoming the new;

Honoring our ancestors & loved ones

and blessing the living.

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May you all be warm of heart and bright of cheek!

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Samhain
It is the time of burning leaves,

The crispness of the air has awakened

Memories both dark and hidden,

Memories of past feasts partaken.
I sit comfortly in this silent room

Computer keyboard beneath my fingers

Yet...my mind is never frozen here

In times past it wants to linger.
I 'see' a bonfire raging on a hilltop

With my people all gathered around

Our prayers to the Gods I shout,

Yet, in my dreams I hear not a sound.
The drums beat, the people dance

Wildness fills the autumn night.
The Other Side is so very close--

The Veil just beyond the fire light.
I reach, I feel, I almost touch...

Spirit fingers entwine with mortal

Then dawn's first light appears

And seals again the fragile portal.
I turn away from the cold ashes

Let the wildness leave my aching soul.
Another year til another Samhain...

On that night again I'll be whole.

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by Elspbeth Saphire

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Samhain by Jane Bengco on Elfwood

~Brightest Blessings from Danae <(:o) aka'Crafty'

Mrs. B's Final Halloween Giveaway

Well friends...we all knew the fun would have to come to an end at some time... and being that it is Halloween- that time is now. Be sure to pop over to Mrs. B's for her last day of Halloween giveaways- they sure are good ones today. (today's giveaway ends Nov.1st at 12noon EST)

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~Emboidered Tea Towel from Tea Towel Creek

~a Goodie Bag from Salem given by Jaz of OctoberFarm

~a book from Creepy Cute Crochet

~a pendant by Aunia Kahn

~ a Peeking Sal Tote Bag fom Organic Totes
~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Awesome Halloween Wreaths & Today's Giveaways @ Mrs. B's

These are a few of my favorite Halloween Wreaths. I still have yet to get a decent photo of my own creation. A couple years back I made a Black Maribou Feather Wreath, ad strung orange lights on it. That year, I decorate it with some orange silk flowers and sme little black spiders (on the flowers so they would show up.)

After Halloween, I took everything (except the feathers) off,and hung it in my living room year round. (I like black!) Then, last year, I restrung it with white light, and stuck a wooden witchy plaque up top (kinda like where the bow might go). It was great, and it served as the hanger. I didn't even have to attatch it, I just slung the wreath over the plaques hanging wire & voila- insant art!

This year, I strung it with orange lights again, and decided to adorn it with the beautifull Spider Skeleton Halloween Hair Flower that I won from Mrs. B's Giveaway. It was made by Jamie,of Jammer Designz. (If you haven't seen her stuff yet- you can find her (here). It looks super cool- but like I said...no photo yet. sorry guys.

Anywho... I wanted to share with you all a few of the inspiration photos that I gathered. Mostof them are pretty straigt forward- and if you knw basic wreath creating techniques- you can re-create any of the easily. (If you don't- that can be googled.)

I have wanted to make this Black Rose Wreath (ala Martha), since I saw it few years back. I even bought the black silk roses to make it- and then proceded to us them in other projects! So...maybe next year. Ah well, thank goodness Halloween comes every year. Otherwise we'd never have enough time to get to al of the great ideas out there!
Black Rose Wreath
Spanish Moss Skull Wreath

Painted Egg & Raven Wreath

Silly Green Fur Eyeball Wreath

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And now for the Halloween Giveaway at Mrs. B's~

~A Witchy Magnet from Picard Creative
~A Digital Art Print from Angie Mroczka
~A pair of Beaded Earrings from Native Dawn

Also don't forget to check out Mrs. B's newest Examiner aricle, The Haunted Blog Tour Host & The Guest Blogger.

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I hope you all enjoyed this quickie Halloween Wreath post, and maybe came away with some ideas & inspiration for creating your own.

~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Halloween Crunch Time~ Treat Wrappers & Vintage Die-Cut Image Downloads 4U

~It's getting to be that time; the 'big night' is almost upon us; the candy and costumes are flying off of the shelves; the kids are counting down the days; and us parents are starting to wonder if we have all of the party preparations done- this is what is known as....Halloween Crunch Time!
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Well, no worries- there are plenty of great quick & easy recipes, decor & party ideas to be found...some of them even right here! (LOL)
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One of the things that is like icing on the cake- for decor, party treats or even just for something special to gussy up the treats to give to the people you love- is Halloween Clip Art & Templates. They are great for projects of all sorts- Treat Boxes, Cupcake Toppers, Banners & Garlands, Masks & much more.
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These can be printed up onto nice cardstock, or regular paper, and make the perfect last minute additions to your holiday haunting. All of these are Free Clip Art & Templates from the entertaining & decorating guru- Matthew Mead. (*Of course only for personal- not commercial use.*) Be sure to check back in the next day or so, for even more last minute goodies!

Vintage Pumpkin Face Large- Download (here) Vintage Black Cat Faces x4- Download (here)
Vintage Pumpkin Faces x4- Download (here)

Vintage Treat Box x1- Download (here)

Spooky Labels or Tags- Download (here)

Orange Candy Wrappers- Download (here)

Yellow CandyWrappers- Download (here)

Happy Haunting! ~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Creepy Crawly Cupcakes

This creepy crawly cupcake is a classic Halloween favorite.
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To make it, follow these steps:

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1. Start with frosted store-bought or homemade cupcakes.

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2. Place purchased truffle (or a Whopper) in middle of a frosted cupcake for spider head.

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2. Use melted chocolate to adhere two red mini M&Ms to truffle for eyes.

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3. Cut eight pretzel sticks in half.

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4. Dip pretzels in melted chocolate to adjoin broken sticks for spider legs.

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5. Insert pretzel sticks in cupcake around the truffle for legs.

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Have a great day!

~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

A Picturesque Posse Of Pumpkin Personality :)

This gaggle of gourds are more gay than gruesome, but they are guarenteed to garner gusty giggles from guys and gals alike! (Say that 10 times fast.) hehehe :)

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But really, the folks at GoodHousekeeping did a great job of giving us easy to recreate Jack-o-Lanterns. These characters are simple to carve and are constructed of props that many of us have on hand. They are the perfect bunch of last minute showstoppers for your porch or parties.

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Bewitched Pumpkin
~First, buy a pointed hat at a party store and use it to determine the size of your pumpkin head.

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~Buy a small bag of green Spanish moss for the hair and strong floral pins to hold accessories in place from a crafts or floral supply store.

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~Cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin and clean out the inside. Use a washable marker to draw on the pumpkin's eyes and mouth, then carve along the lines and wipe off the existing marker with a damp towel when finished.

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~Use crafts store floral pins to adhere the moss to the top of the pumpkin. Place the hat on top of the moss and pin in place. Cut away the wide end of a small gourd, creating a flat bottom to pin onto the pumpkin as a nose.

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Band of Bats
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~Small pumpkins (and small helpers) are great for this no-carve project. Use black fun foam from the crafts or art supply store to cut out wings and ears. Secure them to the pumpkin with floral pins.

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~Use a washable marker to practice drawing on your desired face. Finish by drawing over the face with a black permanent marker.

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Possessed Pirate
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~Purchase a pirate hat, patch, and feathered friend from a Halloween party store. Use your pirate hat as a measurement to purchase the right size pumpkin.
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~Start by cutting a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin and cleaning out the inside. Use a washable marker to draw on the pumpkin's face, then carve along the lines, wiping off any existing marker when finished.
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~Pin the bandanna, eye patch, earring, and hat to the pumpkin with floral pins. Next, use a glue gun or wire to attach the bird to the hat. Scatter a few pirate coins under the base of the pumpkin for a golden touch.

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Spooky Skeleton
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~Buy a top hat from a party store, making sure to use your hat as a measurement to purchase the right size pumpkins for the head and body.
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~Cut a hole in the bottom of each pumpkin and clean out the insides of both. Then cut the top off the lower pumpkin to hold the head in place.

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~Stack the pumpkins as shown in the photo and use a washable marker to draw on the pumpkin's face and chest design. When happy with your design, carve along the lines and wipe off the marker with a damp towel when finished.

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~Carve out one hole in each side of the bottom pumpkin that will tightly hold small tree-branch arms in place.

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~Use floral pins to secure the hat to the top pumpkin.

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~Make a bow from paper or fabric and secure to the top of the larger pumpkin with floral pins as shown in the photo.

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Mummified Pumpkin

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~Cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin and clean out the inside.

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~Use a washable marker to draw on the pumpkin's face, then carve along the lines and wipe off the existing marker with a damp towel when finished.

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~To finish the mummified look, shred cheesecloth and wrap the pumpkin's head.

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~Secure cheesecloth with a crafts store floral pin or glue gun.

Crafty Witch Files: How To Make A Besom

The Witch's Broom is an icon of Witchcraft and Magick, as well as a Samhain & Halloween staple. With these holidays right around the corner, I thought that this would be a good time to share with you all how to craft your own Witch's Broom, known as a Besom.

Technically speaking, a broom is the flat ended sort of object that we generally use for physical cleaning; while a Besom is a round shaped bunch of straw (or other plant material) bundled around the center handle, and is used to cleanse an area of negative enegy, usually in the preparation of ritual or magickal work.

While you can buy a besom, and there are many lovely ones to choose from -it's also pretty easy to make one of your own. The bonus of making it yourself, is the addition of your own energy tied to it's creation. Although the items that follow are for the more traditional style of besom, you can use nearly any types of branches and plant materials available to you. Even a wooden dowel from the Hardware Store can be used. Another alternatve is to purchase a Dollar Store Broom for its twist off handle.

It is a good idea to match the materials to the type of magick to be worked with it. The traditional magical formula includes a bundle of birch twigs, a staff of ash or oak, and a binding made from willow wands. This makes for a besom that incorporates both the male energy of the God- in the oak or ash; and the female energy of the Goddess- in the willow. A besom to be used primarily in Healing Rituals might be made of birch & lavender; and one for Kitchen Witchery might be made of cinnamon.

After the basic construction of the Besom, there are innumerable way to decorate it. Handles can be carved, wrapped or painted; and all sorts of embellishments can be attatched to it. Things such as feathers, crystals, coins, beads, bone and other totems can adorn it and enhance the work you plan to do with the Besom itself.

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You'll need:
A four-foot length of ash or oak for the handle
Thin branches of birch for the bristle part (you can substitute a woody herb like mugwort or thyme for the bristles if you like. I have also seen wondefull besoms made from aromatic herbs, such as lavender or cinnamon. )
Lengths of willow or heavy cord to bind everything together
You'll also need scissors and a bucket of warm water. Whatever you'll be using for the bristles -- whether it's birch, an herb, or some other wood -- should be soaked in the warm water overnight to make them pliable, as should the willow binding, if you're using it.
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FIGURE 1

~Line up your broom handle and bristles, with the bottoms of the bristles pointing towards the top of the handle.
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~Lay the handle on a table or the floor, and place the bristles alongside it, lined up about four inches from the bottom. Point the bottom of the bristles towards the top of the broom, because you're going to flip the bristles in a minute (see Fig. 1).

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FIGURE 2

Wrapping the Bristles ~Tie the bristles in place around the handle.

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~Use the willow branches or cording to wrap the bristles around the broom (Fig. 2). Add as many as you want to make the broom full. Make sure you tie the cording off securely so your bristles don't come popping out later.

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FIGURE 3
Tying the Magic in Place

~Finally, fold the bristles down over the inner tie, and then tie on the outside.

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~Now, take the bristles and fold them down over the willow binding or cording so that they're pointing towards the bottom of the broom. Tie them down again at the base of the broomstick to secure them(Fig. 3).

~As you're wrapping the cord in place, visualize your intent for this besom. Will it be strictly decorative? Are you going to hang it in place over a door? Perhaps you'll use it ceremonially, or maybe even for physical cleaning. Focus on what you're going to be doing it, and charge it with energy.

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The Final Step
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~Let your broom dry for a day or two, and when it's all done, consecrate it as one of your magical tools.

~If you will be doing any decorative work on it, such as carving, painting or wrapping it with fiber-this can be done either before or after the initial consecration, and should be done with magickal intention.

~Then, when all decorative work is finished, you can reconsecrate it and begin woking with your very own handcrafted Witch's Besom.

(These instructions have been adapted from about.com)

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One last word- I wouldn't try to use it for flying purposes! I'm sure you all have seen the results of some of the other Neigborhood Witches flying attempts!
Silly Witches! Flying is for birds! Heeheehee...

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Thank You for joining me for this edition of The Crafty Witch Files!

~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Coffin Party Favor Boxes & More Halloween Giveaway Fun

Coffin Party Favors
For an appropriately creepy take-home treat, fill coffin-style favor boxes with candy bones. Give the boxes a casket look by weathering the edges with chalk and adding press-on letters.

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What You Need:
Tracing paper
Die-cut machine and box die cut (optional) (We used AccuCut Box #18.)(pattern download here)
Dark gray card stock
Rub-on alphabet (We used Reminisce Font Buffet: Chicken King)
Double-sided tape
Crafts glue
7-millimeter-diameter round red rhinestone
White chalk
2/3 yard of 1/2-inch-wide red ribbon

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How to Make It:
Enlarge the box shape to fit the card stock.
Trace the shape on tracing paper; cut out.
Trace the pattern on card stock and cut out the shape.
If you're using a die cut, cut the shape with a die-cut machine.
Cut out the letters "R," "I," and "P" from the rub-on alphabet.
Rub the letters on one side of the shape.
Fold the shape into a box, using double-sided tape to secure it at the side and bottom.
Glue a red rhinestone atop the dot on the "I." Rub all edges of the box with white chalk.
Fill the box with Halloween candy and tie it closed with ribbon.

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~I included the pattern download site here:(COFFIN PARTY FAVOR DOWNLOAD SITE)

I wasn't sure how to directly link it to the file I saved- so this site will take you to the BHG page, and click on the download there please. Thanks. :)

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Now- for the Halloween Giveaway fun, on Mrs. B's:

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~a Busy Body Family Organizer from The Busy Body Book Website

~an 8x11 print of the Moon from Tammy Murray Cline Photography

~a pair of Autumn Hairsticks from Manifested Dreams

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Thanks for visiting!

~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

The Black & White (& Orange) Halloween Inspiration House of My Dreams!

If any of you have followed either of my blogs for even a small amount of time- you may have noticed (or heard me say!) that I have a love affair with the colors Black & White. The Artist/Designer in me goes nuts for that positive/negative imagery....add in pattern or texture and I am a goner!

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I tend to gravitate towards Black & White with the addition of one other color-usually red, or some version of it- like pink (or orange in the case of Halloween!)

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You all also probaby have gathered that I am always on the hunt for fresh ideas & inspiration (both for myself and to share!)

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Well my friends... last night while perusing my usual sources of fun & fancy...I came across a Black & White EXPLOSION OF INSPIRATION! -and I wanted to share. These photos and ideas came from the folks over at Good Houskeeping (with the exception of the above photo; which is from Better Homes & Gardens.) I hope that they inspire you and give you all some great ideas for decorating your own homes! (These are of course no where near the end of my Black & White Halloween Inspiration Ideas & Posts-but in the interest of keeping my posts a managable size(!)-I leave you with this.)
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Three Steps To An Evil Entrance

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1.Wicked

Wreath
Take your door from boring to boo-ring with a ghoulish grapevine wreath: Lay down old newspaper and spray-paint a 16-inch crafts store wreath with black spray paint. While the wreath dries, send your little boos & ghouls out to find small twigs from the yard.
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Using a glue gun, adhere a few twigs to the wreath and push a few extra twigs in between the grapevine, making sure they follow the same direction. Next, secure a mini pumpkin and small plastic spiders to the wreath with a glue gun. Finally, stretch out crafts store cobwebs across the wreath for a stark look.

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2. Pumpkin Pillars
Before you assemble your scary stacks, be sure to choose pumpkins that are the right size for your urns (the largest should fit right on top of the urn and the others should fit on top of each other. as shown in the photo).

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Cut off the tops of the pumpkins (discarding all but the smallest pumpkin top). Clean out seeds and pulp from inside the pumpkins and stack them as shown. After the pumpkins are hollow and stacked, use a black washable marker to test designs for your tree. Once you are ready for a permanent picture, go over your design with black enamel craft paint that will not run off in wet weather. When the paint is dry, carefully wipe away any washable marker line using a damp towel. To emulate stars, drill 1/4-inch holes into the pumpkins. For the three-tiered look, draw and carve out a crescent moon on the smallest pumpkin.
Last, place candles inside the pumpkins to bring the spooky scene to life.

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3. Jack-o'-Luminaries
Pick up a few small white gift bags from a crafts or party store. To make the black house as shown in the photo, draw or stencil the shape directly onto the bag using a pencil. Once you are happy with your design, fill in the drawing with a black magic marker. To light your path, place small candles into glasses or votives, then into the bags.

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Frightening Foyer
Give your guests the gift of spook as they enter your haunted house.
Batty Branches

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Choose a large pumpkin that is the right size for your entry table. Cut the stem flat across the top of the pumpkin. Carve out a small hole in the top that will hold one branch (or several branches) to create a treetop. For the bats on backyard branches, use patterned Halloween papers from a crafts or scrapbooking store to cut out bat shapes and hang from the branches. Tape a thin 1/8-inch ribbon from the back of each bat and tie the ribbon to secure bats the branches.

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Patterned Paper Votives

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Buy or reuse 4-inch to 8-inch straight-sided glass votives from the crafts store.
For each 8-inch votive you will need one sheet of patterned paper, one sheet of black paper, and one sheet of black tissue paper. First, cut a piece of patterned paper that will cover the outside of the votive. In the center of the paper on the backside, trace a bat shape with a pencil. Cut out the shape with small scissors. Place a small sheet of black tissue paper over the cutout and tape in place. Wrap the paper around the outside of the votive and tape in back along the seam. Make a border by cutting two strips of 1/2-inch black paper to wrap around the top and bottom edges, taping again in the back.

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Candy-Filled Cones
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For each candy-filled cone, you will need one sheet of orange tissue paper and one 12-inch black paper doily. Cut the orange tissue paper into a square shape large enough to cover the doily. Cut three evenly spaced slits into the center of the doily, leaving it intact. Form the doily into a cone shape in your hand and secure with tape or staples along the seams. Place the square of orange tissue paper inside the cone. Grab a heaping handful of tasty treats and fill the cone.

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Table of Treats
To set the scene, rip cheesecloth for a moth-munched look and drape over the table. Arrange snacks in servingware and on cake stands, then tuck in crafts store creepies and crawlies (spiders, skulls, mice, and crows).

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Create this fiendishly fun floral display by purchasing spider mums at the local florist. Lay down newspaper in a well-ventilated area to keep paint off furniture and floors. Spray-paint the flowers with black Krylon spray paint and put them in a slim vase. Nestle the smaller vase inside a larger vase lined with black-and-white patterned wrapping paper.

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Deathly Pale Desserts

If you don't have time to bake from scratch, buy a package of slice-and-bake sugar cookies from your local grocery store. Also buy a tube of Wilton's white royal icing and Wilton's black paste food coloring from a cake-decorating or crafts store. Bake the cookies as directed. After the cookies cool, cover them with white icing, mix up your black icing, and use the black icing for decoration.

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You can also make these cookies from scratch by using a simple recipe for sugar cookies and ornamental frosting.

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Mantel Magic Channel greetings from beyond the grave by finding three white pumpkins similar in size that will fit on the width of your mantel. If you cannot find white pumpkins for sale, you can spray-paint your pumpkins with white enamel spray paint. Once the paint is dry (about 30 minutes), use a washable marker to draw out the letters B-O-O on the pumpkins, as shown in the photo. Use a black permanent marker to finalize your design and wipe away any of the washable marker that shows with a damp towel. Adorn the mantel to your liking with mini pumpkins and gourds.

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Immortal Ivy
Use black spray paint to color artificial ivy from the craft store or real ivy from your garden. After ivy is completely dry, weave it through the pumpkins and drape over the mantel's eerie edge. You may need to use a small tack or tape to hold a piece or two in place.
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I hope you all found this Black & White Menaerie as inspiring as I have! Enjoy your day!

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~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Today's Giveaways On Mrs. B's

Quick Giveaway Post to let you all in on the fun going on over at Mrs. B's. Head over there to throw your name in the hat to win:
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~An Altered Wooden Spoon from Cauldron Craft Miniatures
~A Skele-Spider Hair Flower from Jammerz Designs
~A Knitty Kitty from Thalia Took

So join in on the fun! Good Luck!
~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

OctoberFarm Giveaway

Hey guys. Jaz, from OctoberFarm is having a giveaway for some of the lovely treats she recently brought back from her visit to Salem. So take a trip to OctoberFarm to enter.*

~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Building Your Very Own Outdoor Mummies For Halloween

Decaying Mummies are part of the Halloween landscape- brought to life in our imagination from years of Hollywood Halloween & Horror Flicks. Throughout the month of October (and the months leading up to it (!) Halloween Yard Haunters everywhere are playing with paper mache, muslin, cheesecloth and plywood- (not to mention spraypaint, tea-stain & glue!)- all in the process of creating the perfect Halloween Mummy.

While I cannot possibly guarantee results as realistic as these- (mainly because the 2 examples above are real-live (or real-dead!) mummies!- I can give you some simple instructions for creating yard Mummies of you very own! These exquisite specimens (below) were created by the very talented folks at the Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Magazine (& website).
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I am merely the humble messenger who is sharing them here with you today. (Although I did make some of these a couple years back...and they turned out awesome!- I don't have the photos on hand- nor the scanner to share them with you here.) And to be honest with you all- I also don't have the super gorgeous home & yard with which to create such a fantastic backdrop!- NOT that I think my readers would hold that against me! LOL.)
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Halloween Decor: How to Make a Mummy
Having sloughed off their mortal casings, dirt-stained mummies escape their vaults to haunt this spine-chilling scene. Scare the pants off passersby with a front yard featuring zombie-like mummies that eerily rise to haunt the twilight landscape.

What You Need for One Full-Figure Mummy
12-x-14-inch piece of 1/2-inch-thick plywood for base
4 angle braces
40-inch length of 2X2-inch lumber for body brace (note: For the half-figure mummy, sharpen one end of this length into a point.)
12-inch length of 2X2-inch lumber for shoulders brace
2 strap braces
Drill
10-inch length of 1/2-inch-diameter dowel
Wig form
Glue gun and hot melt adhesive
King-size quilt batting
2 1/2 yards of 40-inch-wide muslin
Duct tape
Two 22-inch lengths of heavy wire
Polyester fiberfill (optional)
Khaki spray paint
Floral spray paint
For One Half-Figure Mummy
You'll need all of the materials listed above for the full-figure mummy, but omit the plywood base and angle braces.

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How to Make It
~Fasten one end of the 40-inch length of lumber to the plywood base using angle braces on all four sides.
~Referring to the diagrams, center the 12-inch length of lumber (the shoulder brace) on top of the body brace, forming a T-shape; fasten with strap braces on the front and back.
~Drill a 1/4-inch hole in each end of the shoulder brace.

~Drill a 1/2-inch hole in the center top of the shoulder brace.

~Push one end of the wooden dowel into the wig-form neck opening and secure with glue.
~For the legs, cut two 27-x-36-inch pieces of quilt batting and two matching pieces of muslin. ~Lay one piece of batting on a flat surface and roll it into a 27-inch-long tube. Secure with duct tape.

~Lay the tube on one piece of muslin and roll it to cover the batting. Secure the muslin with glue. ~Repeat for the other leg.
~Assemble the Body
~For the arms, cut two 22-x-36-inch pieces of quilt batting and two matching pieces of muslin. ~Roll into tubes and cover with muslin as instructed for the full-figure mummy legs.

~Push one piece of wire through the center of each arm tube, allowing the wire to extend beyond one end.
~Using scrap quilt batting and muslin, make two 5-inch-long foot tubes.
~Stand the leg tubes side-by-side on the plywood base with the body brace between them. ~Secure with duct tape at the hips, knees, and ankles.

~Wire the arms to the shoulder brace.
~For the body, measure and cut two or three pieces of quilt batting and one piece of muslin that are shoulder-width and long enough to extend from the tops of the legs in front, up over the shoulders, and down to the tops of the legs in the back.

~Lay the body pieces over the shoulders and secure with duct tape at the waist.

~Stuff the body area with scraps of batting or fiberfill to achieve the desired look.

~Use scissors to clip a hole in the batting and muslin at the center top of the shoulder brace. ~Push the end of the wooden head dowel into the center hole in the shoulder brace and glue in place.
~Cut the remaining muslin fabric into 2-inch-wide strips and wrap the mummy as desired, securing the strips with glue. Spray the mummy with khaki and wood-tone paints to distress as desired.
For one-half mummy:
~Assemble as directed for the full-figure mummy, omitting the base, legs, and feet.

Halloween Tricks & Treats~ Super Fun Gross Out Food For The Kids

Whether you are having an all out Haloween Bash, or just want something a little extra-special to make Halloween (& the days leading up to it) more memorable- there are plenty of Spooktacular Halloween Recipes to choose from. I spend a good amount of time each October searching thru the seasonal magazines and websites for new recipes to try out, and add to our tried and true favorites. These are a few of the fun ones I found over at the Family Fun Magazine site.

There is never a shortage of sugar around Halloween, so I'm usually looking to balance it with some healthy but fun snacks. (With the exception of the last receipe! Which I just couldn't resist because they are so easy & cute & look so tasty!)

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Now... I want to add one extra little thing that many of us Pagan Parents do when we are making up our Family's Halloween Treats (that most of the other Folks would probably not be thinking of)- is that we add that extra dash of magick in. Food can be charmed for any possible purpose- and even better when the ingredient's natural properties are used.

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Spiced Apple Cider can be charmed for love, Carrots for clear sight, Yams for prosperity. Kids love this little practice, and it is a great excersize to get them thinking about the qualities they would like to bring into our lives- and the properties and symbolism in what we consume or use. And...its just plain fun! So give a bit of thought and intention into your food preparation & you can be killing two birds with one stone! (Figuratively speaking of course!)
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MINI MUMMY FACE PIZZAS

Disguises aren't just for the kids on Halloween. Surprise your family with these dressed-up, spooky-looking snacks for a Halloween treat. Kids can help by spooning the pizza sauce on the English muffin and making the mummy face with the cheese and vegetables.
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Ingredients:
English muffins
Pizza sauce
Black olives
Scallions
Red or green pepper
Cheese sticks or slices
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Instructions:
Heat the oven to 350º F. For each mummy, spread a tablespoon of pizza sauce onto half of an English muffin (toast it first, if you like).
Set olive slices in place for eyes and add round slices of green onion or bits of red or green pepper for pupils.
Lay strips of cheese (we used a pulled-apart cheese stick) across the muffin for the mummy?s wrappings.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the muffin is toasty.
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CHEESY MONSTER FINGERS
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Partying in costume calls for easy-eating fare, and these cheesy monster digits fit the bill.

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Ingredients
Mozzarella string cheese
Green bell pepper
Cream cheese
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Instructions
Wearing plastic gloves or sandwich bags over your hands to keep the cheese as smudge-free as possible, use a paring knife (parents only) to cut each string in half and then carve a shallow area for a fingernail just below the rounded end of each half.
Mark the joint right below the nail as well as the knuckle joint by carving out tiny horizontal wedges of cheese, as pictured.
For the fingernails, slice a green bell pepper into 3/8-inch-wide strips. Set the strips skin side down on your work surface and trim the pulp so that it's about half as thick. Then cut the strips into ragged-topped nail shapes and stick them in place at the ends of the fingers with dabs of cream cheese.
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CRUNCHY EYEBALLS
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Set out a platter of these creepy peepers, and your Halloween party guests are bound to do a double take.

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Ingredients
Carrots
Cream cheese
Pitted black olives
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Instructions
Simply slice carrots into 1-inch-thick chunks, top each with a blob of cream cheese and one half of a pitted black olive, and serve.
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EYEBALLS ON A FORK

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These scary-good Halloween treats, prepared and eaten on the same fork, begin with a doughnut hole dunked in white chocolate.
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Ingredients
2 (11-ounce) bags white chocolate chips
12 doughnut holes
Semisweet chocolate chips
Tube of red decorator frosting
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Instructions
To coat a dozen doughnut holes, melt the white chocolate chips over low heat (and keep the chocolate warm while you work). With a fork, spear each doughnut hole and submerge it in the melted chocolate to coat it, then gently tap off any excess.
Stick a semisweet chocolate chip with its point cut off onto each doughnut hole, cut end first. Place the forks (handle side down) in a mug and allow the chocolate coating to harden.
Use a tube of red decorator frosting to add squiggly veins radiating out from the pupils.

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Have a Spooktacular Day!
~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Today's Give Aways At Mrs. B's

The fun doesn't stop over at Mrs. B's Confessions of a Pagan Socer Mom. Here is a list of what you will find there today.

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~A Pendant featuring The Eternal Embrace from Agony's Decay Creepy Crafts

~a set of felt Runes from The Caricoa Witch

~a pair of Spider & Hematite Earrings from The Gypsy Eye Studio

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And don't forget to check out the Guest Blog post, Mrs. B Get's Crafty, The Haunted Blog Tour Host (with more GiveAways to be found!) and also Mrs' B's newest article over at the Examiner.com! Plenty of good stuff to keep you busy.

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Have a Spooktacular Day!

~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Oh- The Giveaway Fun!

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Spreading the LOVE from Mrs. B! Pop into Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom to get in on all of the Giveaway fun!

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~Halloween Hairsticks fom Fat Femme Labratory

~a Handpainted Witch Altered Domino from Gypsy Mare Studio

~a years worth of info from The Essetial Herbalist

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*And NO! Spotted Wolf! Mrs. B *IS NOT* part of the giveaway! LOL! You old dog! (I think you are absolutely HILARIOUS! I just thought I would share some of your funny.) Keep it coming- you never fail to put a BIG smile on my face!

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*And don't you all just LOVE today's image of the Kitchen Witch flying on her egg beater?!? I do!

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~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Today's Fabulously Freaky Fun!

Today is a DO NOT MISS DAY on Blogger! There are some AMAZING Blog Parties/Hops & Giveaways going on today all over the Blogosphere!

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First...you must stop in to Mrs. B's for your daily dose of October fun. Here is a rundown of the goodies:

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~a set of porcelain clay Runes from Marie Segal

~a batch of handmade Saffron Insence from Lavanah

~Wintra the Witch of Warren Hall Wall Hanging from Michele with A Single L Designs

~a Halloween Neckalace from Shadow of The Goddess Designs

~an amazing Bag Of Goodies from Salem, given by Jaz of October Farm

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Then, be sure to read the Guest Blog Post, and Mrs. B's Halloween Craft Post. Then hurry on over to today's Haunted Blog Hop Stop!

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But...the fun is not over! No! It has just begun! Don your purtiest pair of stiped stockings, and your pointiest pair of Witchy shoes...Hop on your broomstick and fly on over to Miss Vannessa's Blog- A Fanciful Twist- for her 2009 Halloween Blog Party! It is an event you surely will not want to miss!

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There you will find the fete of your wildest imagination (trust me...I was there!)- and afterwards you will find the links to an ever growing assortment of fantastic places to hop on to! With Tricks, and Treats & Giveaways galore! It will take you all weekend and maybe next week to cover the all! (This is why I suggest going to Mrs. B's 1st! Otherwise you may not make it back before the 'whenever-we-get-home' prize drawing deadline! LOL)
Then...if you are not 'all-blogged-out'...you can stop by Domestic Witch's October Blog Party for more fun links.

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And don't forget the fun on Smeared & Smudged this month as well.

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There are many, many more wonderful bloggy fun places to visit...but as I am already late for my own fun...I must be off! Have a Spooktacular Day today! Bwa ha ha ha haaa!

~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Mrs. B's Giveaways

Hi Guys~ Just a quickie giveaway post letting you know about all the fun going on at Mrs. B's today. (As if you didn't already know!) LOL.

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And don't forget the awesome Halloween Extravaganza Party at A ancifull Twist and ll participating blogs tomorow! It will be an event to remember. Miss Vannesa does not dissapoint!I am polishing up my pointy toe Witch shoes as we speak!

Mrs. B's Bevy of Beautiful Baubles
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- a chaorite pendant from Crude Company

-a mini Ouija Board set and Crystal Ball from Cauldron Craft Miniatures

-your choice of Art Print from Good Mourning Glory

-a Decorated Tea Ball from Recycled Inspiration

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~Danae <(:o) aka "Crafty"

Sharing My Halloween Jollys

Good Morning Blog World! I have a bit of fun news to share.

I won not 1... but 2 Blog Giveaways this week! Such a delightful burst of sunshine in my otherwise ordinary week; and I am tickled to no end.

These are my first 2 contest or blog giveaways that I have won on-line! And they come at such a great time, because I have been a little down in the dumps lately when I think about this Halloween.

Even though I have been doing a stellar job of thinking positive and giving thanks for what I do have...I have been a bit bummed that because of my leg injury, I opted to cancel our Halloween Party, I haven't been able to shop for any new Halloween Goodies to add to the collection, I haven't had the energy to get into all of the Halloween craft pojects I usually do AND I am going to miss this years Trick or Treating!!!

So trust me when I say that "I REALLY needed this kind of happy news!"

Without further ado... Let me introduce you to my first Halloween Giveaway prize, an adorable little gal named Artfull Alice. Alice is a wee little Witch, made of Polymer Clay,wire and paint. She was welcomed into our home yesterday afternoon by Makayla & me, and we think she will be very happy to stay and play here with all of our other happy little Halloween friends.

A big THANK YOU to D. Supliki for making and sending her to us; and another big THANK YOU to Mrs. B for hosting this incredible givaway. You Ladies rock!

My 2nd giveaway prize was The Tome Of Ill Wonder; a super spooky altered book creation. The cover of the old tome sports a macabre grin, and if you are a truly brave soul, and that doesn't scare you away- upon opening it you will discover a hidden skull!

The neato thing about winning this one- is that I am beginig to add spookier stuff to my ever growing Halloween collection. Up untill about last year, I generally kept to the whimsical and joyful side of Halloween. But as my kids are growing up (9& 6) I am finally able to layer in the creep fator as well. In fact... THEY are the ones who have ben demanding it! I would have been fine with sticking to the happy Witches, Pumpkins and Ghosts. I think Black Ravens, Crows and Cats were the spookiest things I gravitated to! Oh... and Skulls & Skeletons; but they make them so cute nowadays, that they hardly count as truly frightening. I mean... even Zombie Dolls are adorable!
This peice of art was created and given away by the King of Horror- King Unicorn; and the giveaway was hosted by his Creepy Cronie- Grim of Grim Visions. THANKS GUYS!!!

So my friends...thats about it for now. I just wanted to get these photos and Thank Yous posted before I got real busy with the day's business. I wish all of you the same good luck & happy surprises! I now bid you adieu...

~Danae <(:o) the Crafty Chick

Quickie Giveaway Post

Halloween is drawing near... and the festivies in Blog Land are proof of that! Here is the quick rundown of the fun to be found.

On Mrs.B's

~another chance to win sets of Potion Labels from Dead Spider
~a beautiful Black Cat pendant from Ugly Art
~a fabulous Halloween book from Fortuna
~another shot at a custom blog button created fo you by
~delicious Bergamot Scardey Cat soap from Gypsy Eye Studio
~ another chance to win a print from Custom Zombie

* I may have made a mistake...but it appears that things are all wonky with Mrs. B's Giveaways- and I don't blame her a bit if it is! She is doing a stellar job on this and I can only imagine the task she has undertaken! *And remember...it could actually be me who messed u! I do it all the time! LOL

so...new addition is Nydia from Bringing Up Salamanders and Caricoa Witch on ETSY

~a Skully Mobile from Caricoa Witch

Also... head over to The Play Of Light and Shadow Studio for to participate in the fantastic Blog Giveaways going on over there! There is a great weekly contest as well as a monthly drawing.

Have a great day guys!
~Danae <(:o)

Vintage Halloween Image, A Recipe 4U & Mrs. B's Giveaways

Hello Friends in Blog Land~
I hope that everyone is having a nice day. (Just think...after tommorow, it's all downhill to the weekend!) And a big, warm WELCOME! to my new readers this week. Merry Meet! I am so happy that you have decided to join us!
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It's been a perfectly wonderful stormy Autumn day for us here in Southern California. (I can say that because I am all safe & toasty in my home! It would be a completely different story if I were out there battling the soggy streets!)
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But instead, I am watching the rain from inside- relaxing, sipping my Pumpkin Chai, with the fireplace going- and trying to get my artistic flow going. The inspiration & ideas are a'flowing- but now I need to light a fire under my butt to start going!
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I have been working on amassing a store house of finished projects in order to start up my ETSY Shop. (Yeah...I know- I have only been trying to get it going for like FOREVER! Well- really since last year this time. And I have only been on-line again since last December.) But excuses aside...the time is NOW! I can feel it, and I want to take advantage of the energies a'swirlin' and get my stuff out there to you!
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I'm sure that some of you crafters out there know what I mean. I have the WORST case of what I call 'Artist's ADD'! So I am doing my very best to remedy that situation, and to start actually selling my art- instead of giving it all away. As soon as the weather clears up, and I have a day that is nice, I will be able to get some photos to start showing you guys what is in store. It would be real nice for me to 'jump in' right in time for Holiday shopping & start off the New Year with 1 goal already accomplished! (Not to mention starting off my 34th year with a bit of success. That way I can hit 35 with a feeling of accomplishment; instead of regrets and "shoulda's")
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Okay...personal stuff aside- I have a quickie post for you all today. A Vintage Halloween Image to share (see adorable Trick or Treaters above!) A Halloween Party Recipe & a run-down of the awesome giveaways you will find over at Mrs. B's.
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Oh...and real quick- I just got on Twitter a few days ago (so I can take part in all these giveaways going on!) and I would be just thrilled if any of my Crafty's Cuppa Coffee readers would like to add me to their Tweeps. However, I have decided to change up one thing- I really hate to inundate all you folks with my giveaway Tweets all day; after all, I know most of you are already doing them too! So, I have made a separate account for giveaways & one for personal use...(for the fun stuff!)
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CraftysCup ~is my Twitter addy for all of the 'fun stuff' type Tweets &
CraftyChick1221~ is my Twitter addy for giveaways& contesty type Tweets
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Okay... now for the recipe. This is a fun one for Halloween Parties, and it can be made ahead. (I like to do the olives fresh though.)
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SPOOKY SPIDER DEVILED EGGS
Servings: 12 egg halves
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Ingredients:
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled

3 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Whole black olives, to decorate eggs
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Directions:

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1. Cut eggs lengthwise in half.

2. Slip out yolks and mash with fork.

3. Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper.

4. Fill whites with egg yolk mixture, heaping it lightly.
5. Slice and arrange olives into spider bodies legs

6. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

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from Mixing Bowl.com

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Todays giveaways on Mrs. B's are:

~Mini Magic Wand from Art From My Heart

~A pair of Earrings from M. Augusta Woodland

~A set of spell candles, a Batty Tarot bag and Divination Insence from The Witches Britches
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*Be sure to check out her 2 Guest Bloggers, the next stop on The Haunted Halloween Blog Tour & a great 'Blast From The Past' recipe post from Mrs. B herself!

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~Enjoy your day!

Spooky Smooches from ~Crafty <(:o)

13th Day of Halloween @ Mrs. B's

Good Morning Everybody out there in the Blogosphere!

I am sitting here, enjoying the very first Autumn rain with a cup of Pumpkin Chai. (I know, I know- it's not fair for all you folks in the rest of the country who have been pelted with cold weather for weeks now- but what can I say? Except Southern California has great weather. One of the only perks about living here!

So... enough chit chat. Let's get onto the prizes to be won today on Mrs. B's blog.

~Another chance to win a set of Emily Balivet prints
~A vial of Black Witches Salt from The Whimsical Witch
~A necklace & pendant from My Pretty Zombie
~A choice of one of three cards from Spirit Helpers
~Your choice of 8x10 art print from Custom Zombie

*OH! And be sure to stop over at the Examiner.com to read Mrs. B's newest article there. Also be sure to check out today's Guest Blog Post as well as the next stop on Mrs. B's Haunted Halloween Blog Tour, The Gothic Tea Society.*

I will be back a bit later with a real post. (I have some happy news to share that deserves it's very own post!)

~Enjoy your day~
~Danae <(:o)

Mrs. B's Day 12 Giveaways

Today's giveaways from Mrs.B's Confessions Of A Pagan Soccer Mom

~A Witch sign from The Olde Country Crow
~A Jane Austen Book
~A magnificent set of Potion Bottle Labels, Spice Bottle Labels & Can Labels from Dead Spider
~An oh so cute apron from Apron Frenzy
~An adorably spooky Halloween Spider Hair Flower from MsFormadlehyde

Broom on over to Mrs. B's to join in on all of the fun... and be sure to read her new article at Examiner.com. It's another fabulous Domestic Witchery Article for the Domestic Goddess in us all!

~Danae <(:o)

Pumkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins...Today It's All About Pumpkins!!!

I woke up with Pumpkin on the brain today! So after the kids headed of to school, I brewed up a cuppa Pumpkin Spice Tea .
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I have no where to go to anyways- I'm still in the cast... so it's just a lovely morning with me and the Kittys. I have some art stuff to work on, as I'm trying to get my ETSY Shop up and running (real soon now!).
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It is kinda gloomy this morning, so I lit a couple of tea lights & sprinkled a little of the Pumpkin Spice Tea into the hot wax. That's one of my favorite Crafty Witch Broke Girl Style Autumn Scented Candle Tricks- plain Pumpkin Pie Spice works as well- that's what I normlly use. (I haven't exactly been out shopping for the past 8 weeks cause of the leg. So no new Autumn goodies for me this year. The upside is that it's saving me TONS of money during this Season Of Buying!)
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Alrighty...I have alot to share today. Vintage Postcard Images for your use; a quaint Hallows Eve custom; a tasty Pumpkin Spread, for those upcoming Fall Parties, and some quick & easy Pumpkin Treat Bags for the Kiddos.
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Whew! So let's get started.
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*Vintage Halloween Images 4 U & A Quiant Old Halloween Tradition*
These Vintage Halloween Post Card Images (for your use) depict a quaint old Victorian, Halloween Custom. There are many versions of the story.
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One of the most common is that at the stroke of midnight, a young maiden, in a white nighgown, with her long hair flowing, would walk backwards down the stairs holding a candle and a hand mirror (preferebly silver, for silver's connection with the Moon.) At the bottom of the stairs she would peer into the mirror, and was supposed to see the face of her future true love.
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I read about this custom when I was a young girl. I was fascinated by history & traditions & holidays from a super young age. This one in particular grabbed my attention- probably because it was easier to do than roasting marked chestnuts in the fire!
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I did this little ritual many Halloween nights between the ages of 8 untill probably about 16! And no...I never once saw any reflection besides my own! (Although I did dream about my 'to be' Husband for about 2 months before I met him in real life. But that's another story for another day!)

*Yummy Spiced Pumpkin Spread*

Ingredients
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large pumpkin
Ground nutmeg
Assorted crackers, also great on bagels
Directions
1. In a very large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Transfer to a bowl or storage container. Cover and chill up to 2 days.
2. Transfer to a serving container and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve with crackers. Makes 6-1/2 cups (about 25 servings).
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*Quick & Easy Pumpkin Treat Bags*

These PumpkinTreat Bags are a cinch to make. All you need, to whip these babies up, is:

Orange Paper Bags

Green Floral Tape

Floral Wires

Candy Filling

First wrap the wires in the green floral tape, and then curl around a pencil. Stuff the orange bags with candy or other teats, and then twist the bag closed and wrap twice around the stem with the tape. Then, while holding the wire to the stem, attatch it with the tape, and finish off the stem.

Voila, you're done!

~Danae <(:o)

~Welcome To My Humble Home~

Hey Ya'll! I am 'Wanda the Witch', and I am Crafty Chick's Halloween Mascot this year.
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I will be yer tour guide through Crafty's house ~well, really just the Living Room! (The rest will come later. We wouldn't want to bore you with the WHOLE house in one day!)
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So kick of yer shoes, and come on in. :) Make yerself at home... and and please don't mind the mess.... Or the blurry photos... Or the fact that I'm missing my broom stick!
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(Apparently- Miss Danae didn't pack me away well enough last year..and I'm still waiting on her to fix me up with a new one! Let's hope she gets it done before Halloween NEXT YEAR!!!)
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OK... Now, since we all live in a small house (I like to call it 'cozy'....but really it's just 'small'!); there is no real 'entry way'... you just step right into the Living Room.
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The first thing you see (besides the other wall!) is the fireplace.
This is where I live... along with some of my other Halloweeny Friends.

Let's see, there is Mr. Spider Pumpkin.
(Don't let him fool you! He's really 2 friends in 1. He is 1 of a set of 3 wire spider candleholders, with a pumpkin head candle lantern on top. He just looks way cool up there.)
He also likes to hang out with the other wire spiders on the orange glass candleholders nearby.
Beleive it or not... these guys all came from Von's(!). (except for Mr. Pumkin Head.)
Danae (almost) always waits untill after Halloween to buy her decorations- and grabbed these babies up for $3 and $5 each! Sweet deals. And they look super cool at night.

I like to hang out over here with the mini Gargoyle, the itty bitty Pumpkin Stack, and Mr. Bump's school pic (from last spring). Oh...that's J.D. for those of you who don't know us all yet! The little Gargoyle sits on top of a set of calendar blocks. They say Oct. 31 for now.
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On the other side of the mantle...


...is Miss Red's photo, (otherwise known as Makayla); along with another Pumpkin Head friend.
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He is a ceramic gift bag type of thing. Danae got him fom the Dollar store in 1996- he was one of her very first Halloween decorations- bought to decorate her own house for the first time. The other decoration is a Black & White Birdhouse (that is a work in progress) with a tiny orange Spider who has made it his home for now.
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Then, if you turn to the right...

You will find the blow up Grimm Reaper, saying "Enter if you dare!".
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He will eventually find his way to the front porch & then out his spot behind the buffet table at our Halloween Party. (We have been having some problems with neighborhood vandals. Mom usually puts him out in the day, and brings him in at night- but wth her leg in a cast... she's been a little slow on the go!)
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Hanging below Mr. Grimm is fabric wall hanging made by Danae a few years back.

Below the 3 Witches is the saying, "There is magic in the night, when pumpkins glow with candlelight." And just below the saying is a row of pumpkins that match the ones on top. The bottom hem is finished with a cool frayed edge. *
Sitting up there on the shelf, on top of the wall hanging, is a little ceramic Witch, with her tiny toad and her bottle of potions.
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On top of the TV is a Happy Scarecrow & his 'Cronies' (!), (which J.D. claims- daily, mind you- "Are NOT Halloweeney!!!") ...and then next to the TV are a few Pumpkins, and a Crow on top of a black Cauldron.

The Pumpkin on the bottom left is Pre-School Halloween Art a'la J.D, the tiny one is a toilet paper roll Pumpkin I made awhile back -(with an old orange T-shirt, a roll of TP and some black eyelash yarn); and the one with the Crow is a storebought patchwork one.
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And next to them all, standing sentinel next to the front door, is Esmerelda the Witch.

She also takes a trip outside for our Halloween Party. She likes to be where the action is!

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Next, we have the 'Media Cabinet'. (Otherwise known as the home of the kid's computer, and every 'media or electrical' type of cord, cartridge, charger, game, DVD, etc... in the house! That way Danae knows where to find 'that thing for the ------')

On top of the 'Media Cabininet' is the drawing of the Lord and Lady that Danae drew (in 1996). Much of it is made with tiny dots. There is also a small ceramic Cauldron, a black glass Chalice, and some black candles. (There is also supposed to be black silk roses in the crystal vase- but they were down being dusted. ooops.)

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The Witchy Wall Hanging is another one of Danaes art peices done a few years back. (There is a matching doll, all cut out & STILL waiting to be stitched & stuffed! Tell that girl to "get in gear" already!)

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This next pic is of the Ghosties. There are 3 of them, but the larger stuffed one is out of the photo. What you see here, is a Ghost Lady, a Ghost CandyDish, and some Autumn Potpourri. The Ghost Lady had a matching Pumpkin boyfriend- but he had an accident last year, and had to be thrown out. :( (That's why she only has one arm now- but we don't say anything... she still thinks she's hot!)

Well Friends... that's about it for today's little Halloween Tour of Crafty's house. There is plenty more Halloween Goodies to share with you on another day.

Here's Witching yall a Spooktacular Halloween! <):o)

Day 11 of Mrs. B's Halloween Giveaway

Hey Guys,

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. (well- it's almost over now, but you know what I meant!) Here is a quick rundown of today's fab prizes over at Mrs. B's Blog.

~A Gothic Lolita Pink Lace Skull Brooch from Cauldron Crafts Minatures
~A fabulous Witchy Drawing from Clairedelune
~A beautifull Art peice from Aunia Kahn
~A Coffee treat from Mrs. B's High School buddy.
~Another awesome prize from GrimVisions. A Skull Candle on top of a book.

All of today's prizes are just awesome! Be sure to check them out.

GrimVisions 2009 Ghastly Halloween Giveaway

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Yes, Guys....ANOTHER Giveaway Post! (Sorry about that- but hey...I did manage to squeeze in a REAL post for you all this morning!)
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Anyways... Today is the last day to get in on GrimVisions Giveaway- and there are 13 chances to win! So hurry on over there to put in your entries. Contest closes at 12pm EST. And the more people that enter- e more prizes to be won. AND....he says that evenif you win one...you are still eligible for the others! COOL!

* *Ed The Head*

Ed The Head is the 1st prize being given away. He is sooooo creepily cool!

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* *Dave The Dead*

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If there are at least 2oo folks entered into the giveaway- this Pumpkin Head Creature will be the 2nd prize given away.

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*The Tome Of Ill Wonder*

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This is a 3rd prize if 300 people enter the contest. This is the front, and inside is the skull that is the first photo on this post. Oooh! Spooky!
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Click on this link to get to his Blog. *GRIMVISIONS*

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~Danae

On The 10th Day Of Halloween Mrs. B Gave To Me...

...More awesome giveaways to tempt the Witchy side of me!

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Oh...and you too!

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I'm gonna pile these all into one post for today- there are just too many for individuals today- and no...I am definitely NOT complaining! Mrs. B always has the most awesome giveaways.

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OK. Today Mrs. B has 6... count that...6!!! prizes to giveaway today! Here's the quick rundown:

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~A 2fer of Samhain Soap & All Hallow's Eve Soap (Double Yum!) from Sacred Oak

~Frankie's Foot Soap from BloodBath Soap

~A Spooky Halloween Classic Flick from the 60's from Ms' B (?)

~A super cool reversible Halloween Apron from Mad Things & Bat Wings

~A handwoven (!!!) Autumn Table Runner from Chicory Cottage Weavery

~An awesome peice if art by Emily Balivet (See photo above)

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Be sure to hop on over to Mrs. B's blog Confessions Of A Pagan Soccer Mom to join in on all the fun!

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~Danae <):o) aka "Crafty Chick"

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PS: You can now find me on Twitter as "CraftysCup" ~Thanks 2 Mrs.B's Blog Giveaways. Lol.

I would love to connect with any of you readers if you are on Twitter as well. :)

On the 9th Day Of Halloween Mrs. B Gave To Me...

a chance to win this awesome Calaveras art!

...yeah, yeah... I know I have been posting alot of Blog Giveaways lately. (And I am well aware that most of you already read Mrs. B's Blog.) But a girls gotta do, what a girls gotta do- to have a chance to win some of these awesome Halloween prizes!

So today's giveaway is for a set of Natasha Blue's Dia De La Muertos Calavera art. So pop on over to Mrs. B's if you'd like a chance to enter this fabulous Halloween Giveaway.

I will try to get back later for a "real" post! LOL. In the meantime- here is a preview of the amazing Calavera art of Natasha Blue. (I have a serious addiction to Dia De Los Muertos Calavera art- I even have a few of my own peices that I have created over the years- but none that hold a candle to the work of Natasha Blue!)

~Danae :)

-untill we meet again... :)
Ooops! I forgot to mention this Essential Oil Giveaway from Walk In The Woods- also from Mrs. B's Blog. So definitely go check it out for your chance to win!

On The 8th Day Of Halloween...

Mrs. B gave to me... A Handmade Witchy Ornament for my Halloween tree!

YAY! I just won my very first Blog Giveaway Prize!!! I was picked to win the Artfull Alice Witch Ornament from Whimsical Cottage. (See blog post from yesterday for a photo of Alice.)

This little Witchy Poo is absolutely perfect for me because I happen to have a 9yr old red headed 'Young Witch in Training' daugther- so we are always on the look out for 'red headed' items. In fact- Makayla came up with an idea to open a store for red heads when she grows up. One of the names we came up with is- The Red Headed Step Child! One of the items she wants to sell is super duper sunblock- because as a fair skinned, red head- she can never have too much sunblock! Lol)

Thank You to you both (again!).

Now... for today's giveaway item over a Mrs. B's...

An amazing Winking Witch Candy Holder handmade by artist William Bezek. One look will have you hooked! So be sure to head on over to Mrs. B's Blog to enter- and the go to Wormwood Hollow- William's ETSY Shop for more awesome Halloween Art.

Now I wonder what the odds are for me to win 2 days in a row??? Good Luck 2 U all!

Dressin' Up For Halloween...

While we have all been busily dressing up our homes for Halloween- inside and out- and we are looking for more spooky ideas to dress ourselves up... I decided that my Cyber Space could use a seasonal disguise too!

I thought that this new Halloween Blog Background was perfectly festive. The funniest thing about it is that I have been doing lot' of Halloween paper crafting (among other things)- and this background looks very similar to the paper designs I have been working with all week! How fitting.

After the holidays I will be going back to my good ol' black, white & turquoise design- but until then it will be all 'dressed up for Halloween- just like the rest of us. (I atually kinda wsh there was a way to keep my old background, but to change the turquoise to orange for the season. Now that would be cool!)


~Enjoy
Danae aka The Crafty Chick

Mrs. B's 7th Day Of Halloween Giveaway - Artful Alice Ornament

Artful Alice is often seen,
Riding her broomstick,
In gentle moonbeams.
On the darkest of night, By the full moon's light,
Hair aflame,
She'll wave her wand,
and cast her spell.

Artful Alice is a hand sculpted, hand painted, jointed polymer clay ornament. She measures in at approximately 5 inches from the top of her hat to the soles of her shoes. She has firey hand separated yarn strand hair and a dress spangled with stars. Whimsical and crafty, she's sure to be a grand addition to all of your autumn (and non-autumn!) decor! Each Artful Alice comes with a ribbon for hanging.

Be sure to drop by Mrs. B'sBlog to play along and have a chance to win an Artful Alice of your own. Also check out Whimsical Cottage Blog & ETSY Shop.

Pumpkins, Parties and Perky Pirates!

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Nothing says Halloween like stacks of festive, orange pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns. With today's advances in hybrid gardening, artistic creativity and the invention of Funkins*, the opportunities for pumpkin adornment and decor is nearly endless. Now pumkins can be made and kept for years to come. Pumpkins have come a long way from the simple jack-o-lanterns of our youth.

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Some of my favorite Pumpkin Decorating Ideas are:
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-Cookie Cutter Pumpkins. using cookie cutters and a mallet to cut out shapes, faces & patterns. Ceramic & Linoleum Tools work great too! (See photo)

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-Holey Pumpkins. using a drill and different sized bits to bore out holes in the pumpkins; either in a pattern, or random holes all over. These end up looking almost like lace. You can also use this methos to carve words into the pumpkins. (see photo)

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-Glowing Black Pumpkins. Paint the pumpkins solid black, and then carve the pumpkin as usual. This creates an amazing glowing contrast when lit up at night.

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-Glittered Gourds. These sparkling pumpkins are spectacular and well as sophisticated. Thin some white glue or Modge Podge with a bit of water; and use it to paint the pumpkins with. Then pour the glitter on. The stems can be left plain, glittered a contrasting (or the same) color, or even painted. One of my favorite colors of Glittered Pumpkins is mixture of 3 parts orange, 1 part red or burgundy, 1 part iridescent. This makes for a rich, vibrant, Autumny colored pumpkin.

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-Gilded Pumpkins. You can create Gilded Pumpkins for yourself by spray painting your pumpkins with Gold, Copper or Silver. It is also nice to add silk leaves and a curled wire vine to the top of the stem. Be sure to paint those as well, so they look like they are part of the pumpkin. (Tip: cover the wire with floral tape first, or use already covered wires so that they paint will stick.)

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-Black & White Pumpkins. I like to start with a white pumpkin, and then use black acrylic paint, Sharpie* marker, or a paint pen. Sometimes I merely write a spooky greeting in cursive; and others I paint a pattern on the pumpkin. Anything from plain polka-dots or diamonds, to intricate tattoo-like tribal or swirly designs makes for gorgeous gourds- not to mention that painted pumpkins last throughout the entire Autumn season. These ideas also look great on orange pumpkins as well.

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-Stacked Pumpkins. This is a breeze! Find 2 or 3 pumpkins that sit well together, usually in varying sizes from big to little on top. The pumpkins can be used plain, or spruced up in a number of ways. They can be turned into pumpkin creatures, such as witches, cats, owls and other animals. Add pops and decorations to finish the features and clothing.

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-Painted Character Pumpkins. This is another quick and easy way to decorate your pumpkin without the mess. Not to mention that they last much longer than their carved companions. This is also a safe method for the smaller set to decorate their pumpkins.

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-Pumpkin Topiaries are made in much the same way as Stacked Pumpkins; but you use wooden dowels to skewer the pumpkins and hold them up. Place them in a proper sized urn or pot, and add some moss if desired. The dowels can be painted black, and even striped. Add a black crow for added ambiance. One of these is nice, but 2 or more is spectacular!

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-Masked Pumpkins are a quick and easy way to add character to your pumpkins. You need not even carve them -just add a mask and maybe a wig or hat to make instant pumpkin pals. (See photo)

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-Vegetable Pumpkin Characters are made by adding various veges, nuts, moss and other nature goodies as features. Again, they can be carved or left plain. Use wooden skewers and toothpicks to attach the additions. Think outside the box- radishes for eyeballs, zucchini for a warted nose, broccoli or kale for hair. Check out Martha Stewart's Website for years worth of ideas and awesome inspiration.

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-Sideways Pumpkin Creatures. Turn your pumpkin on its side to create an instant face. The stem makes for a great nose- and many times the natural lines and shape of the pumpkin will yield a perfect expression for your pumpkin's face. Then carve, paint or decorate your pumpkin in the way you like. If you choose to hollow and carve your Sideways Pumpkin Creature, create the opening in the bottom of the pumpkin, and place the candle on the bottom 'lid'; and then place the pumpkin face on top.

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-Crazy Kiddie Collage Pumpkins. Sit the kids down with their pumpkin and an assortment of craft supplies. Pipe cleaners, google eyes, foam shapes, buttons, holiday confetti, stickers, fabric, yarn, glitter, paint, tooth picks, cotton balls, nuts & bolts, beads, magazine pictures & character cut outs, scrapbooking embellishments and the like, make for a ton of fun for little crafters. The kids can place them randomly around the pumpkin or can use them to create faces for their Pumpkin Characters.
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I have done this craft for several years at our Annual Pumpkin Potluck Party with much success. Year after year the kids amaze me with their creativity! This is a super easy way for kids to safely and successfully decorate their pumpkins -and they can do it all by themselves! BONUS for us Moms! We usually do this with mini-pumpkins or the small to medium pie pumpkins; but this can be done with any size, shape or color pumpkin.

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Stacked Pumpkin Characters

These cuties were crafted by the incredibly creative folks over at Martha Stewart Magazine (& Website) They are the perfect example of how quick and easy you can create your own Stacked Pumpkin Creations. A few pumpkins, and a couple of costume props are all you need to craft your own.

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Holey Pumpkins Bat Man!

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I was gonna save these beauties for another post- but I figured I should pop them into this one to go along with all of these cool pumpkin ideas.

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They are uber easy to create with Ceramic Cutters (think mini cookie cutters) and a rubber mallet. These ones have a lace-like pattern, but different patterns create different effects. You can also use this idea combined with the black Painted Pumpkins with great results. When these are lit- they are amazing!

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My Own Little Creepy Critters!

This is a photo of my kiddos, taken just before Trick or Treating last Halloween ('08). Makayla was a Gothic Dark Fairy, and Jeremiah was a Pirate. (Which is fitting because he has played on the Pirates team for the last 2 years in T-Ball.)

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This year Miss Red will be a little Devil and Mr. Bump is going as the Bleeding Grim Reaper.

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I think I may end up being the Gypsy Witch or Vampire Witch (again!) this year. Its my good ol' stand by for the years that I don't have anything special to wear. And thankfully, conjuring up Witchy gear is never a problem for me!

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Over the years we have done some good family and couples costumes. (I wish I had a scanner to share the photos with you all here!) Each year we Trick Or Treat in the neighborhood where my Hubby (& his Mom) both grew up (& still live to this day.) It is a great Trick Or Treating neighborhood and alot of fun because (almost) everybody celebrates- BIG TIME! The other fun factor is that since many of the neighbors knew Steve & his Family growing up- they get a kick out of seeing him & our kids (& our crazy costumes) each year.

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The 1st year that my Hubby & I were together, we went as a Hooker & 'her' John. Except I wasn't the Hooker! Steve was such a good sport. He let me dress him up in my black mini-skirt, leather coat, purse and a belly showing crop top. We stuffed his sister's bra until he had 2 GIGANTIC torpedo shaped ta ta's! He looked HILARIOUS with my make-up and his goatee! I looked pretty funny myself, dressed in his suit & tie, with my own mustache and goatee painted on. I must've done a pretty good job because when my Dad looked at the pictures later- he asked who 'that guy' was! 'That guy' was ME!.

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Then another year we went as The Wizard Of Oz family. My daughter was an adorable Dorothy, with her handmade pinafore dress, red ruby slippers, and her basket with a stuffed Toto dog. My Hubby (who is a Sheet Metal Worker by trade) went as The Tin Man. He made a terrific costume out of a silver, metal trash can, gray shirt and pants and a tin cone hat. I was the simple minded Scarecrow complete with overalls and real straw hay, and my baby boy J.D. was the cutest little Cowardly Lion.

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The next year we went as the Flinstone & Rubble Family. He made J.D.'s costume, and I made the rest of them. Steve was Barney, J.D. was Bam Bam, our little red-headed Makayla was Pebbles, and I was Wilma. I made an awesome white fur dress, with one side strap and a jaggedy hemline. Big wooden 'pearl' beads topped off the outfit perfectly. Makayla sported a brown & black animal print dress, trimmed in black maribou; and I made her a fang tooth & beaded necklace & a big bone for her hair. (The teeth & bones were made from Fimo* clay)

I think that may have been our best one yet.

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The year after that Steve was Rob Zombie, J.D. was a Lil' Zombie, I was a Witch and Makayla was a Lil' Witch.

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Unfortunately now that me and Mr. Man are no longer together- the family & couples costumes are no more... but we still Trick Or Treat together and we always have a blast.

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One costume I had wanted to do together was to be (a sexy) Little Red Riding Hood, and to have him be my Big Bad Wolf. I wanted to put a spike collar around his neck and a chain to lead him around with. I guess I will have to put that one in the 'files' for a Halloween somewhere in the future when I am once again 'a couple' with someone. Lol.

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So what are you planning on being this Halloween? Anyone have any good costume ideas? Either from past or present, single, couple or family, adult or kid costumes. I would love to hear about them.

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~Danae

Mrs. B's Awesome Day 6 Giveaway

Hey Folks! Hop on your Cyber Broomstick and fly on over to Mrs. B's Blog, Confessions Of A Pagan Soccer Mom to take part in Day 6 of Mrs. B's 31 Days Of Halloween Blog Extravaganza. Today's Giveaway #4 is this awesomely spooky (but oh so sweet) Skully prize package. This one comes to us from Sweet But Not Sour's ETSY Shop.

I almost hate to add more 'competition'! -because I soooo want to win this one! But good luck to everyone, and also be sure to check out Mrs. B's new article at Modern Pagan. Also, the 3 other prize giveaways going on, as well as a guest blogger. (Gotta LOVE that Mrs. B! She is one helluva Lady!)

~Danae aka The Crafty Chick

Here Kitty Kitty Kitty...and other Halloween Tricks & Treats

Awww... Have you ever seen a cuter or spookier Skeleton Kitty? I can't imagine the work or the talent that went into painting this furry four-legged. I also can't imagine my cat sitting still long enough for me to paint her like this! Lol. But here's a double thumbs up for this kitty costumery.


Along with my 'thing' for Black Halloween Cats, I have a 'thing' for Black Crows & Ravens. These Creepy Crows came from the awesome folks over at Martha Stewart Haloween Magazine. The spooky Spider Web effect is easily recreated by arranging your Hallween tableau; and then positioning several hot glue pads around the outside. Then start with a dot of glue on a pad, and string it around and over the display (think hot pizza cheese!). Goback and forth all around the display, untill it is to your satisfacion. Let dry, and carefully remove the pads. Voila! Insta-Creep!

This next Halloween Treat is a snap to conjure up. These Super Easy Halloween S'mores are assembled quickly and zapped in the microwave, before sprinkling seasonal colored candies. Enjoy!


Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: Microwave: 30 seconds

Ingredients:
8 chocolate or regular graham cracker squares
3 tablespoons chocolate-hazelnut spread
3 tablespoons marshmallow creme

Directions:
1. Place graham cracker squares on a work surface; spread 4 squares with chocolate-hazelnut spread. Spread remaining graham cracker squares with marshmallow creme. Place graham crackers, marshmallow sides down, on top of chocolate-hazelnut spread. Place on a microwave-safe plate.
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2. Microwave, uncovered, on 100% power (high) for 30 seconds. (If you want to heat the s'mores one or two at a time, microwave one s'more on 100% power [high] for 10 seconds or two s'mores for 20 seconds.) Serve at once. Makes 4 s'mores.
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3. Peanut Butter S'Mores: Prepare as directed, except use chocolate graham cracker squares and substitute peanut butter for the chocolate-hazelnut spread.
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4. Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare up to 30 minutes before serving. Microwave just before serving.
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From the BHG Test Kitchen

Getting My Vintage Halloween Fix With A Swirl Of Sweetness

This is a Vintage 1920's Tally Card.

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In the early days of the 20th Century, Halloween themed products and decorations were marketed primarily for adults; and were made to be used only for that one day, and then disposed of. (Think Halloween Party items). Whereas Christmas decorations where made to be used each year, and to be saved away for your chidren. This means that these days, vintage Halloween decorations are more rare, and thus more valuable.
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While I would love to own my real-life collection of vintage seasonal goodies, (and I do a pretty bang-up job of collecting modern day stuff and retro-reproductions); I have found that I can getmy fix for vintage Halloween decorations with free online art images. Not to mention the awesome source of free holiday images provided by the magazines and websites for public use.
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Whether you want to use it to create your own art, as gifts for your family or friend, or for a Halloween Party of your own- this is a great way easily and cheaply incorporate vintage seasonal art.

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*A Sweet Swirl Of Halloween Goodness*

Practice your magic with these invisible pops, setting licorice whips, pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds), and candy corn afloat inside this clear confection. You can buy lollipop sticks at candy-supply and baking-supply stores.

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Ingredients:
Makes 1 dozen

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2 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
Assorted candies and seeds, such as red and black licorice whips, candy corn, and pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)

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Directions:
Line three baking sheets with Silpat nonstick baking mats or parchment paper. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside.

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Bring sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Don't stir, but occasionally wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water to prevent crystals from forming; boil until mixture turns golden and registers 300 degrees to 310 degrees (hard-crack stage) on a candy thermometer, 5 to 7 minutes.

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Immediately set pan into ice-water bath to stop the cooking (syrup will steam vigorously); let sit about 20 seconds. Swirl pan 2 minutes more to cool.

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Working quickly, pour syrup onto baking sheets, forming circles (3 to 31/2 inches in diameter) and spacing pours about 4 inches apart .

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Press in lollipop sticks.

With your fingertip or a wooden skewer, lightly press candies and seeds into syrup. Let stand until completely hardened and cooled.

From Martha Stewart Halloween 2004, October 2004

Halloween Inspiration

As an admitted Halloween Fanatic, I spend a good deal of time perusing magazines, books, on-line sources, and the homes of other Halloween Obsessed Folks for inspiration of my own. I have yet to ever duplicate the crafts or displays exactly; instead they always serve as a jumping off point for my own projects.

Here are a few more to share...

BLACK CAT TRICK OR TREAT BAG

SUPPLIES: Felt, decorative ribbon, Stitch Witchery, craft knife.
HOW-TO: Place two sheets of felt on top of each other. With a craft knife, cut slits the width of the ribbon around three sides. Starting at the top left corner, weave the ribbon through the slits, and tie ends together to make a strap. Decorate the tote with a Halloween image, such as a black cat, that you've cut from felt, and attach it with Stitch Witchery.

Courtesy of Country Living Magazine 10/09

HOMEMADE HALLOWEEN TRUFFLES

Give your guests a sweet send-off. Nestle homemade truffles decorated with sprinkles in little wooden boxes. These are lined with glassine -- trimmed with scallop scissors -- then wrapped in narrow ribbon and sealed with pumpkin stickers. Forming truffles is easiest with a 1-inch ice cream scoop; two teaspoons will also work.

Ingredients:
Makes about 4 dozen
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup orange and black sprinkles, for decorating
1/2 cup orange and black sanding sugar, for decorating

Directions:
Bring cream, butter, and corn syrup to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate, and gently swirl pan to cover chocolate with cream.
Slowly whisk until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover, and refrigerate. Stir mixture every 15 minutes. After 45 minutes, mixture will thicken quickly, so stir every 3 to 5 minutes until set but still pliable, 10 to 20 minutes more (total chilling time is 55 to 65 minutes.)
Refrigerate until firm but not hard, about 10 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, and roll balls in palms to smooth. Refrigerate, in an airtight container, layered between pieces of parchment or waxed paper, until ready to decorate.
Remove balls from refrigerator. Place sprinkles and sanding sugar in separate small bowls. Dip balls into sprinkles or sanding sugar to coat, pressing sprinkles to adhere. Truffles can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
From Martha Stewart Living, October 2007

A Crafty Witch Halloween & Spiced Pumpkin Marmalade

As the days grow shorter and the weather gets cooler, we naturally turn inward towards hearth & home. Crafting, Cooking & Baking seem to go hand in hand with the Autumn Season. It is also a season that is highly infused with magick. As a Crafty Witch, I take advantage of these natural energies and oppourtunities to blend my many crafts, hobbies and talents with my Craft.

Over the years I have gathered an assortment of recipes, crafts and spells that help my Family & Me celebrate this Season of Change to the fullest. Many of these are tried & true; and others I am adding this year for the first time. And still others, I may not get to for years to come.

Many of these recipes & crafts also lend themselves well to being 'charmed', or otherwise incorporated into Magickal Spells and Rituals. It is quite easy to infuse the ingredients of a recipe or craft project with the qualities needed to produce any desired outcome.

The materials used to craft a wreath for the front door can be charged for protection, the seeds from a carved pumpkin can be used for divination, and candles can be dressed and blessed to add focused intent to the already pleasant atmosphere they provide.

As a Crafty Witch, I use all of my senses and creativity to get the most out of what I have. I try to look at ordinary things with a Magickal Eye. What may look to others like a cute Halloween arrangement, may actually be a spell in progress. And what may seem like a simple Pumpkin Pie may in fact be a Prosperity Blessing for my Family and Friends (with their consent of course!) The happy Scarecrow that stands sentinel over my home & garden is a powerful ward & protector.

The possibilities are endless and the results are extraordinary. In fact, when you begin to look at household and seasonal items as Magickal Components a whole new world opens up; and the mundane becomes magickal. No longer are Rituals & Spells something that you make time to do- magick becomes something that you weave throughout your every day life. It is just one more way of creating a living spirituality and honing your Craft.

I share these with you all here in the Spirit of Samhain (or Summer's End). As always, Enjoy!

Spiced Pumpkin Marmalade

from BH&G
Prep: 15 minutes

Cool: 1 hour

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked fresh pumpkin puree or one 15-oz. can pumpkin
1 cup orange marmalade
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
English cheddar cheese, white cheddar cheese, or Parmesan cheese (buy about 2 oz. for each person you'll be serving)
Assorted hearty breads

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan combine cooked fresh pumpkin puree, marmalade, and ginger. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and cool. Serve as a spread with cheese and bread. Makes about 3 cups or 24 (2-tablespoon) servings. Spread will keep in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Makes about 3 cups spread (24, 2 tablespoon servings)

'Tis The Season Of The Witch

I don't know about any of you, as I can only speak for myself. But there is such an aura of mysterious majesty that I feel come Autumn. It is almost like I can taste the parting of the veil between the worlds that marks this time of Hallow'een.

As you can most likely see- I am always proud to be a Witch. But never more so than in this season. It is almost like I know a special secret about the universe, that most others think is just a silly joke.

Our culture seems to accept and allude to the magick inherent in us and the natural world...yet not fully embrace it. We can talk openly about the prescence of atomic energy, UFO's, and many other things that the lay person cannot quantify...

But real magick? And Witches?

Those are either designated for the realm of a good movie, the imagination, or the looney bin. (Present company excluded!) That is not the stuff of your average dinnertime conversation- or workplace banter.

But something magickal happens sometime around October 1st. Where suddenly the cauldron and athame in my home go from being items of my eclectic unusualess, and come into decorating chic. My year-long displays of Witchy stuff go from something strange, to an awesome 'Halloween' collection.

He, he. I love it. I think its great.

I revel in this, the Season of the Witch.

And even more magickal than before...now that I have found the Wonderfull World of Blogging...now I get to share all of my joy, and love, and Seasonal Goodness (or Wickedness!) with all of you! (and vice versa.)

Yay!

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

"There'll be leaves that are blowin', and pumpkins a glowin'; we'll be in good cheeeeer....It's the most wonderful time- of the year!"

Like so many of us, Halloween is my very favorite time of year; followed closely by Christmas. For me, Halloween is not just one day, but is celebrated as an entire season. The sensory explosion that accompanies the Autumn Season excite my inner child; and the colors, textures, sights, tastes and smells are an inspiration that carry me right through the Winter Holidays and into the New Year.

The preparations begin in late August, just as we are wrapping up the Summer and getting ready to head Back 2 School. That is when I reluctantly change gears from the Summer into Fall. I start making my plans for that year's Halloween projects, decorations, costumes and our Annual Pumpkin Pot Luck Party. One Saturday in October, we invite out family, friends, neighbors and school mates to my home for a Halloween Party. We decorate pumpkins, create chocolate haunted houses, play games and eat creepy food. It is something that I look forward to as much (if not more!) than the kids.

I am gathering my ideas all year long- but I kick things into production mode in early September. Then, by October 1st I am well on my way. By the time the party is over, and the Big Night Arrives...I am more than happy to pack up Halloween and begin the Christmas preparations, (which also include several family birthdays as well.)

This year will be a bit different because I cannot do as much with my leg in a cast; but I know we will still have plenty of fun. Instead of our usual big Halloween Party; we will be having a much smaller (and less ambitious!) get together and I surely wont be doing the major crafting, cooking and baking routine. Most of my ideas for this year's celebration will be postponed until next year- and Christmas will probably follow suit. But regardless, I will be thankful and appreciative of everything that we do get to do.

I also have a slew of great Halloween ideas, crafts, pictures and posts to share with all of you. I will post them when I can and save the rest for next year. I hope you all are doing well, and I am looking forward to seeing all of your fun Halloween Posts and projects as well.

A MOST HAPPY HAUNTING SEASON TO YOU & YOURS!

~Danae, the Crafty Chick

A Crafty Chick Update~ Life On One Limb...

I have been busy adjusting to 'Life on One Limb'...or maybe I should even say 'Out On A Limb' as the case may be! It has been 4 weeks since I broke my knee, and 1 week since my knee surgery to repair it. The last month has been one unexpected turn of events, after another; and I have been confronted with a number of new obstacles, as well as plenty of life lessons to be learned. Besides how much resilience and strength that I can muster, or pain I can endure...I have also seen how my true friends and family have pulled together to help me and my kids during this rough time for us.

Now that the surgery is over, I am on the road to recovery. I have a full cast from my toes to my thigh on for 6 weeks, and no driving; so our usual Fall Activities and Halloween Party are gonna be scaled down. But I know that we will still have plenty of fun anyways; and since Halloween comes every year- missing out on something is not too tragic. Lol.

I hope that all of you have had a much better September than me! And are enjoying a healthy and fun filled Fall. I also thank you guys, and appreciate all of the kind thoughts and healing energy that has been sent to me and my family.

Much Love,

~Danae, The Crafty Chick

Hey Guys...Guess What I Did This Weekend?...otherwise known as "Witch Heal Thyself"...

Well Friends...If I ever said my life is boring...I wouldn't be telling the truth. (But that's not my style! I like to keep truth on tap around here.)
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Okay, okay- what is the Crazy Lady talking about now? Does she have some interesting new information packed blog post- OR WHAT?
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What.
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No my Friends. Instead I have a bit of a story to tell. It's a story about a Girl who tries to do too much. A story about a Girl who doesn't do enough. And a story about the Universe doing its thing, making its powerful checks & balances- teaching us important lessons; the way it tends to do when us Humans won't do it for ourselves.
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It's a story about me...
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So here goes. It is Saturday night, about 2 am. I was just finishing up some work on my lap top, sitting in my little Art Room/Office. I heard this WHOOSH! come from the pool in the back yard. So...I realize that our pool was overflowing so I ran outside to fix it.
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Now normally,during the day- I would've just held it up, and called for one of my Kids to grab the pump & I would've just fixed the situation. But alas...it was 2 am, and I was all by myself.
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So I ran inside to grab the pump from right behind the door. I took one step inside of my back door - and WHOOSH....
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I slipped and fell *SMACK* onto my right knee!
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OH THE PAIN!!!
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After taking an excruciating breath, and assessing the situation; realized that the bone was sticking straight out of the other side of my leg! I took another shaky breath, pulled myself up into a chair, and tried to think clearly about what to do next.
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And that was when I realized just how serious the situation was quickly becoming.
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You see, earlier that day I had taken the kids to the Lagoon to swim; and somehow, my cell phone had gotten wet- and broke. I hadn't thought it was too big of a deal. I have a fresh new cell phone that the company had sent me a couple of months ago when my other phone broke (that time was their fault). So anyways, I had figured that on the 1st, when I get paid, that I would just go have that one turned on- No worries.
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Untill I need my phone to call for help in the middle of the night, that is! So. there i was, hurt badly, with no phone to call anyone, and my two Kids sleeping peacefully and unaware.
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I tried to contact my Best Friend Will through my text to cell phone codes on the computer...and to keep myself from passing out from the pain. Unfortunately, Will had already gone to sleep, and didn't hear the phone. So by then I was starting to get really worried- and the gravity of the moment was rapidly sinking in.
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I called for my little Son, Jeremiah to wake up- which he miraculously did...and he went to go get his big Sister, Makayla up. Thankfully I have spent alot of time preparing my Kids for various emergency situations, since they were about 3 or 4 years old- and they followed my directions PERFECTLY!
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Long story short...my Kids got treated to an ambulance ride- and I got treated to
x-rays & a soft cast! It turns out that I have broken & dislocated my Patella (Knee Cap)-(which thankfully my quick thinking and massage therapy training helped me to pop it back into the socket before I even got to the hospital!) Go Nae Nae! :)

So, now I am laid up for awhile with a broken knee. In a couple of weeks when the swelling goes down, I am supposed to have orthopedic surgery, and have steel rod put in. (Which I REALLY don't want to have to happen!)

I have been really blessed- which I always recognize, but never more so than when the chips are down and those who actually love me for who I am are still around.
You see, I am usually the one who takes care of everyone else.
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I am Mama Nae. I not only take care of My Kids single handedly- but I do my best to take care of all of the people I love (& even a few I don't. LOL) I am the one who is the hostess with the mostess, the Lady who's house all the neighborhood Kids come hang out at, who rescues all the stray animals and Humans alike. I am the one who juggles whatever needs to be done- usually without a hitch.
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But, it seems that at least for the moment- the tables are turned. Feeling helpless is not my strong points...so it is a lesson I am adjusting to slowly.
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Actually, I'm doing everything slowly these days! LOL

So- now...what are the lessons that I was referring to? I mean- an accident is just that, right? Well...

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I have this belief that EVERYTHING happens for a reason (actually many reasons); and that even illnesses and accidents are part of lager schemes. There are several lessons I am learning here- a few I can and will share, a few are more intimate- and a few I am still unravelling and figuring out.

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The first lesson is that I nee to be ALOT more careful! I may think that am Superwoman & can handle everything single handedly..but maybe I shouldn't always try to. I forget that I am a Single Mama here with 2 Kidlets and am all by myself. If I get hurt...that's it. Game over. There IS NO ONE but me to run the show.

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I am super grateful that I got off so easy...things could have been MUCH WORSE. There are so many, "I could ofs..." that have run thru my head. So I am just lucky I got off with just this.

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I am also learning to listen to my inner voices and trust them more. Don't get me wrong...I always pay attention- but sometimes I doubt that I may be right. But there have been SO MANY times now that I have had premonitions, thoughts, dreams, and vibes about things, and then later been shown that I was right on the money.

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And this time is no different. (Of course hindsight is 20/20!) Now that I look back throughout the day...there were maybe 5 or more weird thoughts, feelings and actions that now make sense...but didn't before. And of course I don't think I ever would have been able to pinpoint exactly what "it" was before hand. (It isn't like there is a flashing neon sign that says, "Be careful of slipping on the floor at 2 am tonite! LOL)

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But all that day I felt like there was SOMETHING that I was forgetting. I kept trying to think if I had paid all my bills, etc. I couldn't figure it out- but it did cross my mind to drive very carefully that day, in case it was a car accident that I was sensing. - I even did a Tarot reading- but I was not asking the right question to have gotten a warning from that.

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Then, I was given this floor mat, and I first put it in front of the door (where I fell) so that when the Kids came back & forth from swimming,that the floor wouldn't be all slippery. But then, at the last minute I put it in front of my kitchen sink instead. When I did that, the thought crossed my mind that I should be leaving it in its first spot- but I didn't want the Kids to get it all dirty & ruined. I figured the towels that I usually lay down could at least be washed easier.

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The weirdest thing was probably when I heard an ambulance coming. I was sitting here on the computer, and herd the sirens getting closer- nothing out of the ordinary there. Out of nowhere I got the strangest feeling like I KNEW that it was going to come straight to our house & stop. I thought it was just a strange thought, and no biggie.....Then the ambulance got super close, came to our corner- and the sirens stopped; but not in their normal way, where you can hear them shut it off and arrive. It was like it just vanished.

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I came in and saw my Kids looking out the window saying, "That was weird Mom- where did it go?" I told them that I didn't know, but that it as funny because I had a strong feeling that it was gonna stop here. Makayla & I thought it was funny...and it made me take a minute to re-strengthen my protective thought/energy shield around my Kids- but I didn't think to re-strengthen my own!*

But I think one of the biggest lessons that I am learning- besides patience!- is one of healing- and attitude. Or maybe I should say re-learning.

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You see, at first I was PISSED! I was pissed at myself for being such a Klutz. I was pissed at myself for no picking up on all of the signals. I was/am pissed at myself for getting laid up during the last week of summer- right when I want to wrap up the summer in a fun way for my Kids...and I have a gazillion things to do to get ready for them to go back to school. I was pissed about all of the things that I had put off doing- thinking that I would have time either this week, or when the Kids were back in school (and NOW I can't!) I was pissed because I DON'T WANT to have knee surgery, or knee injuries- I don't have time for this shit! But I was mostly pissed that now I am stuck, and now I have to ask for help...for things that I normally would NEVER ask help for.

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So, after a few hours of feeling REALLY bad, it dawned on me...I DON'T WANT TO SPEND THE NEXT HOURS, DAYS, WEEKS, OR MONTHS FEELING BAD! It's just not my style!

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So, I did a quick attitude adjustment; and reassessed the situation...gave thanks & praises for my blessings...and started sending healing thoughts & energy to my knee. I got all of my healing crystals out, and put happy stuff around me, and spent alot of time meditating on the healing of all of the bones & tendons. I am hoping that there may be a chance that I can heal enough, that when the doctors look at it again, that they may decide it wasn't as bad as they thought, and that I DO NOT need surgery, a hard cast or the steel rod in my knee.

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I have been visualizing light mending the knee and activating all of the blood & energy to heal. I have been packing my knee with ice, and crystals & gemstones- which actually feels really good!

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But most of all- I have been flooding my mind with acceptance and positive attitude about my situation. No- it is not what I had in mind; but I guess I just have to make the best of it.

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The phrase, "Witch- Heal Thyself" is one that has played over & over in my mind. It is one that I have always taken to heart & tried to live by throughout my life- and never more has it applied.

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At the very least I will have a lot to time to meditate, do my art & do the research, learning & writing that I love so much! (I haven't felt like it so much yet...but I know in a day or two I will be more in the mood for it.)

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I am sure that with all of this time on my hands, that I will have many more mini epiphanies to share with you all, as well.

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I also wanted to ask any of you Folks who may be so inclined- to send me some light & love & healing energy. I would very much appreciate it- and will certainly return the favor when & if I am asked. (Especially all of you Reiki trained Folks!)

Okay Guys...take care- and watch out for slippery situations! LOL. Thanks 4 all of your good thoughts and well wishes

~Danae

* PS- Somehow this got posted this am with just the photos -before all of the words were finshed getting typed- sorry if anyone was confused, it was just a mistake. Sorry, my bad.

My Isis-Hathor Egyptian Goddess Shriney Thing...

ISIS was the Egyptian Mother Goddess
of Magic, Healing & Rebirth

She was known as the Goddess of 10,000 names. She tricked The Most Powerful Egyptian God Ra, The God Who Held The Power of Life, Death and Rebirth; and took His Throne. She mourned the loss of Her Brother/Husband Osiris so much, that She hunted for His body, found Him twice, and magically resurrected Him to conceive Their Divine Love Child Horus. She was Devoted Wife, Eternal Mother, Queen of all of Egypt, Healer of the Sick, Teacher of the Mysteries, and Mistress of Magic.
...and I got to do a paper on Her last month! Talk about right up my alley! So my Friends...I bring to you, the "Short Version" for your reading/viewing pleasure.

First I will share with you my little Isis/Hathor Shrine Project that I made to go along with the paper. It is nothing too elaborate- probably because I still had my Gaia Altar & my Yemaya Shrine (those photos & post forthcoming) still taking up precious Living Room space! (And Altar building goodies.)

So I made this one in a little metal basket. This actually was a good thing, because I was able to enjoy it on my desk while I was working on the paper (for inspiration); then I moved it outdoors for a Ritual; and back into the Living Room for a while longer to enjoy; before it finally ended back up on my desk- (waiting to be ceremoniously disassembled before morphing into another arrangement!)

Which is actually 'another' good thing- because now I had the visual reminder to post it on my Blog! See? A whacked out example of 360 degree thinking. (You would hate to live in my head...it's crowded in there. LOL)

Okay...enough rambling. Lets get to the goods., er, Gods that is.

So, whadya think? You Like?

Besides the slipping around of the stones and pyramid, I think it turned out rather nice. It has been a great inspiration & meditation tool.

So, the run down:

2 Goddess Oracle Cards-Isis & Hathor

1 Metal Basket

1 pair of Black Velvet little girls pants for the cloth

1 King Tut child's toy

1 Carnelian Isis Pendant

1 Faux Amber necklace

1 Glass Pentacle Pyramid (on top of a square mirror)

1 Jeweled Beetle Brooch

1 Glass Leaf Wand

1 Gold G'Ma Ring

Crystals & Gemstones used: 6 Clear Quartz Crystals, Blue Quartz, Malachite Pendant, Leopardskin Jasper,Turquoise, Carnelian, Amber, Malachite Heart

ISIS CORRESPONDENCES :

Names: Isis, Auset, Eset, Lady of Ten Thousand Names, Isis Panthea, The One Who Is All

Corresponding/Associated Goddesses: Madonna & Child, Hathor,

Job/Powers: Queen Mother of Egypt; Healer; holds power of Life, Death & Rebirth; Guide to the Underworld. She taught the women how to make bread, spin flax and weave cloth, as well s how to tame their Husbands; She taught Her people agriculture and served Her people as a midwife, protectress and sorcerer. She is a Moon Goddess; rules all compass directions, the elements and powers; She resurrected Her Husband Osiris, and is credited with inventing the process and rituals of embalming. She is worshipped as the Goddess of Wisdom and medicine.

Parents: the Earth God, Geb; and the Sky Goddess Nut

Spouse(es): Osiris

Child(ren): Horus

Colors: Silver, Gold, Black, Red, Cobalt Blue, Green

Crystals & Gemstones: Quartz, Star Sapphire, Lapis Lazuli, Amber, Carnelian, Amethyst,

Trees: Cedar, Tamarisk, Willow, Balsam

Plants: Cattails Papyrus, Storax,

Flowers: Lily,Lotus

Oils: Sandalwood, Amber, Sweet Orange

Foods: Bread, Wine, Corn, Tamarisk, Flax, Wheat, Barley, Grapes, Cinnamon

Mystical Creatures: Magical Scorpions assisted Isis search for the 14 missing pieces of Osiris

Animals: Scarab Beetles, Scorpions, Snakes, Cow, Sparrow, Hawk

Element: Water

Tarot Card(s): The Empress, The High Priestess, The Moon, Death,

Number(s): 13

Season: Autumn

Offerings/Sacrifices: bread & wine, milk, perfume & feminine things, kohl eyeliner,

Well Guys, I hope you enjoyed my little detour through Goddessville. See ya next time.

Adventures in the Back Yard

Top Of The Mornin' To Ya!
Hello Friends...Nothin' special, I just wanted to wish everyone a Good Monday Morning, and have a great week; and tell ya'll about our fun & funny weekend excursions in the back yard.

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend (we did - except for one minor emergency!)

The Kids and I had our "Wanna be Camp Out" that we had been planning (and had put off from last week. We didn't quite get to all of the activities that I had planned for us...but Summer isn't quite over yet- so we can always do it again soon.

Our "Wanna Be Camp Out" included:
-A Nature Walk - around the neighborhood to gather 'specimens' for Nature Crafts
-Swimming in the 'Lake'- which is really our INTEX Pool (!)
-'River Rafting'- a silly game I made up were one Kid is in the inner tube, and
the other runs around the outside of the pool, pulling them by a
rope, while yet another kid creates 'rapids'...when the tuber falls
off, the next Kid takes their place in the tube
-'Faux Fishing' - catching water balloons, (floating in the baby pool) with slippery,
soapy hands
-A 'Camp Fire' Cook Out - we cooked a BBQ feast of our 'Catch of the Day', (really just
fish from the store! LOL), burgers, corn, baked beans, and salad
-S'mores - Mom 'cheated' and used the microwave in the house!
-A 'Camp Fire' Singalong - Singing silly songs
-Stargazing - I had planned on checking out the stars in our telescope...and we did,
but only for about 15 minutes because the cloud cover came in
and wouldn't leave! Luckily I had also planned to use the Lap Top
to keep the Kid that wasn't getting their turn occupied by
looking at Planet Information on the Web....so that was what we
all ended up doing instead of stargazing in the telescope. Here's to
good back up plans! LOL
-Sleeping in the 'Tent' - the 'Tent' was really us all sleeping up on the
trampoline...which incidentally makes for a real comfortable place
to sleep! I was originally going to cover the top of it with our pool
cover, and maybe the sides with big sheets..but it was such a nice
night, that I decided to leave it open, and it worked out great.

So, we had a real fun day and evening,and hope to do it again real soon! Our one mishap, actually happened the evening before. It started out as a regular afternoon...the Kids were swimming in the pool,and I was watering the garden. I was poking around, deadheading flowers, and generally just cleaning up- when I saw an adorable little red pepper laying on the ground in the far back.

I hadn't planted any peppers, so I was curious as to what it was, and how it got there. I figured maybe someone had tossed some food back there and it sprouted, or maybe a bird had dropped it. So I am rummaging around looking for the mama plant. My Kids got curious and excited too; and came over to examine it. (BIG MISTAKE #1!)

I decided (like a TOTAL idiot!) to open up pepper and spread the seeds to get some more of those beauties growing.) (BIG MISTAKE #2!) Meanwhile, my 6 y/o son, JD had opened one up too-(even though I had OF COURSE told him not too!)

Well...5 minutes later he is screaming BLOODY MURDER! and both he and I ended up with severe pepper burns all over our faces and hands. I began frantically dousing us in milk and ice packs to try to get the burning to stop...to no avail!

Eventually, my awesome neighbor Maria came over to help; and she brought yogurt (which stays on much better than milk!) And she was thankfully able to get JD calmed down and breathing the pain away- (which was REALLY hard for me to do with my own face ON FIRE!!! )

She was sooo great! She took that evil little pepper, and rubbed it ALL OVER HER OWN FACE & ARMS! just to show him that it was food, and it was going to be ok! - which actuallyworked really well to allay his fears. (BTW- Maria is from Guatemala, and cooks with them everyday...so they don't affect her the same way. But I was HORRIFIED that she was doing that- and sure that she was gonna get burned herself!)

I guess us 'White Bread Folks' have a higher level of senstivity to that kind of stuff- because my own hands and face were severely burning for at least 8 hours. And the next day I was still achy and my hands felt like I had rubbed sand paper all over them! BTW- The pepper turned out to be Habenero! OMG!

I did get a good laugh as I was icing myself down and checking the Net for other remedies to try. There were pages of people's pepper experience stories that were even funnier than mine! And PLENTY of other Folks who knew better - just like I did, but inadvertently did the same thing; or ha had no problem cutting peppers with their babe hands before, but then all of a sudden got fryed!

Stories of spouses who could handle the peppers no problem, but then a wife getting burned from second hand contact (some in some very precarious places!).There were several 'pepper in the eye, or contact lense' stories too. Even a story of a kitchen that had to be evacuated for 3 whole days, due to air born pepper contamination from chopping dried peppers!

So watch out Folks! Stay away from 'Mystery Peppers' ! LOL!

Enjoy your day...and your week. ~Danae....aka, the 'Crafty Chick'

A Friday Funny & A Cute Story To Share....

Hey Ya'll! TGIF! I usually post these cute Retro Recreations over at my (seriously neglected) blog- Crafty Chick's Retro Fantasy ; but I wasn't really sure of my audience over there & besides...I have a cute story to go with it.

Now my Mama would KILL ME if she knew I was telling you all this! BUT...since she doesn't ever read my blog, what she doesn't know- she doesn't know. LOL.

As some of you may know, I am a Cali Girl...born & raised; and over here on these Golden Shores we have a fabulous 'Loophole Law' concerning the consumption of the blessed Mary Jane. (Thank the Gods!) I call it a 'Loophole Law' because the 1996 Medicinal Marijuana Act is really an attempt to Decriminalize Ganja, as opposed to Legalizing it. (Which BTW is actually BETTER than Legalization, because the Feds haven't yet gotten their greedy little claws into it, and screwed with the potency or the taxation of it - YET. Just think cigarettes, and you will know exactly what I am talking about.)

So anyways...I come from a family of Herb Smokers, and I myself am a Proud Partaker and regularly imbibe. However, as I was growing up, I never knew that my very strict Mother was righteously confiscating my stash...only to later smoke it herself with Papa Bear, (while I was subsequently punished for it !)

Then, at age 25, I discovered that my Folks had been big time Closet Smokers the whole time! (So much for, "I tried it once, and it put me to sleep!"LOL) It was then that the pieces clicked as to why I was such a merry midnight toker; and since the secret was out & I was deemed old enough...we all were finally able to 'come out of the closet', and smoke together.

Last week, my Mom, after 40+ years of hiding & feeling ashamed of her affection for the Wacky Tobacky was finally able to walk into the "The Party Store", (as she calls it), with her head held high, not looking over her shoulder; and purchase her stash...and some tea, and some honey...and a couple of plants! Go Moms! She & my Dad got their Med. Cards and are now legit smokers. And they couldn't be happier.

I think about how different it has been for their generation. As I was growing up, people had already been smoking somewhat openly for 30 years- but not for them. Their generation actually had to/has to hide it-or be considered fringe druggies.

It must be very liberating for them to FINALLY be able to walk into a shop and buy their stuff. How cool for my Mom that her baby plants can grow proudly in her garden, right next to the roses- and she doesn't have to worry about the neighbor's gardeners seeing them. My Folks no longer have to worry about someone finding out their 'secret' and ruining their reputation as responsible, upstanding adults and business people. I think its GREAT!

I am not going to get into all of the debates about whether or not it is safer than alcohol or cigarettes; or how people (usually) don't beat their wives or rob liquor stores behind it, or whether legalizing it is sending the wrong message to our kids- these are all personal opinions and soap box rants for another post.

I just wanted to share a bit of my Folk's joy and relief about finally being free to be themselves (in the comfort and safety of their own home of course!); and not to feel like that aspect of their lives is in direct conflict with everything they have worked so hard to achieve and maintain.

I hope for this sense of liberation for every American smoker. For all of you responsible, hard working Folks who just want to kick off your shoes at the end of a long day of work- and have a little toke in the privacy of your own living room; without fear or shame. Hopefully that day will soon arrive for all of us. :) Until then though...keep your heads held high and keep showing the world that we are good hardworking, God (& Goddess) loving Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers and People. Not a bunch of drug crazed crack heads or stoned out teenagers and we don't belong in jail or rehab.

And finally, although I am not a Christian, here are some respected words from the Big Man's Book...

Genesis 1:29. ~ And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Timothy 4:4 ~ For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude.


~Danae aka 'Crafty Chick'
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AFTER POST NOTE: Aaa Ha Ha Ha!... Just as I was finishing up the proof reading of this post, I received a text from my Pops..., "Give Mom a call. She has a little *treat* for you! :) Love, Dad."

I am a lucky girl indeed !!! :)